Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones Given A 27th Chance In The NFL.

Pacman Jones has been reinstated by Roger Goodell.

The Cowboys will be able to activate Jones for thier December 7th game.

I am of the firm belief that Roger Goodell only reinstated Jones this time so that if he fucks up again (which there is probably a 69% chance he will) Goodell can say “Three strikes you’re out motherfucker! Pack your bags! You goin’ to Canada!”.

If Roger Goodell actually spoke like that, his press conferences would be far more interesting.

I have always been of the opinion that people deserve second chances. Usually. But how many chances can someone actually be given before the chance giver just looks like a huge moron?

This many.

Roger Goodell is all too happy to allow players to be fined for “dirty” hits and the like, but this move makes it seem like, when you come right down to it, he’s pretty much a lot of talk.

I guess that’s better than Paul Tagliabue who was a lot of…nothing.

And still, when you put it into perspective, there is no way Goodell isn’tthe best commissioner of the 4 major sports. It isn’t even close.

In spite of some overly sensitive fines that get tossed around, I appreciate Goodell’s sheriff-like attitude when it comes to guys shooting people and (allegedly) committing felonies. If Goodell would just lay off on the stupid fines, I would have no issue with him at all.

Bud Selig is just completely moronic and incompetent in every way. But David Stern is just oversensitive to everything. His “rules” are never consistent and he’s just an old man living in a young man’s World.

Roger Goodell needs to:

1. Lay down ultra specific rules as to what constitutes a dirty hit and what can be fined.
2. Write specific rules by which players can be suspended or expelled from the NFL.

I think too much of his decision making is done on a case-by-case basis and clearly that isn’t working. A firm set of rules encompassing everything applied with a small measure of case-by-case decision making would go a long way towards improving things.

Even if that means writing a player conduct rule book that says things like:

Strip Clubs -

Any player allegedly involved in a strip club altercation will receive a minimum 4 game suspension.

Shootings -

Any player who allegedly discharges a firearm in public will receive a minimum 6 game suspension.

Underage Parties –

Any player allegedly involved in “partying” with underage males or females will receive a minimum 3 game suspension.

I would gladly write up this rule book for you Roger. Just buy me a Sooloos and I will get into detail like you wouldn’t believe.

Oh man do I want a Sooloos…

Former KU Stars Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur Earn David Stern’s Scorn.

Listen up Supernintendo Chalmers and Darrell Arthur, because I’m only gonna say this once:

I’ll be the first person to tell you that David Stern is a giant piece of trash. He’s too old, oversensitive and dramatic to lead a pro sports league like the NBA at this point in his life. Stern treats owners like Gods, treats players like babies and lets Refs do whatever they want (Tim Donaghy comes to mind).

But…

When you are at an NBA-lead Rookie seminar that’s supposed to be about how to act appropriately as an NBA player and other such nonsense, DON’T GET HIGH IN YOUR HOTEL ROOM!

Seriously guys. Seriously.

I’m not saying you can’t act all Ricky Williams-esq. when you are in the comfort of your home. You are adults. Do what you want. Use discretion. BUT NEVER DO IT WHERE YOU WILL GET CAUGHT!

Seriously? Have you two been too busy playing High School and Jayhawks’ basketball to follow the NBA at all the last few seasons?

David Stern hates NBA players. The guy seems to get off on making them look like fools.

You know how when you were in Junior High you had one teacher who HATED kids? That’s what David Stern is. He just wants everyone to play basketball, have no personality, make no noise and go home everynight.

Do you really want to piss him off?

Oh…too late.

LeBron James “Would Consider A $50 Million A Year Offer To Play In Europe”

This is bad news for the NBA.

According to Chris Broussard, LeBron has already heard several offers from European teams. He likes money a lot. He wants to be a global icon. Awesome.

The article goes on and on about how it is unreasonable that LeBron would be paid $50 million per season overseas due to the exchange rate and lack of salary cap there. Ok.

It also makes some comparison to the amount of money David Beckham is paid to play in the MLS. Right.

The thing is, if LeBron wants to be a global icon, he should start by WINNING AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP OR TWO!!!

Yes, I know he is an absolute beast, I know he accelerates like nobody’s business, I know he is young and has the Universe by the sack, but the thing is, the guy has done essentially nothing in the NBA worth having Global Icon status to this point.

You know who else was young and had the world by the sack and was a standout NBA player for a time? Stephon Marbury. Vince Carter. Chris Webber. Grant Hill. Should I keep going?

I’m not going to say that all of the above had the same amount of potential as LeBron, it wouldn’t even really be a fair comparison as they are different types of players and what not.

Still, shit happens. People come into the league with infinite potential and sometimes get hurt, or get stuck on shitty teams, or get paid so much that they cannot be surrounded by good players, or just generally start believing their own hype overdo things and end up train-wrecks. Shit happens.

The thing is, the NBA cannot afford to pay LeBron $50 million a season. The salary cap will not allow any palyer to be paid that much without being surrounded by maybe 1 other veteran and 10 rookies. That is the way the math would boil down.

And you know who some true American sports global icons are? Michael Jordan. Tiger Woods. Maybe Lance Armstrong.

You know why? Because THEY HAVE WON CHAMPIONSHIPS!

Win 3 or 4 NBA Titles LeBron. You will be a global icon. Don’t worry about it.

Regardless of if his plan is to play in Europe only for 1 or 2 seasons, make bank, come back to the NBA and take a pay cut and then try to win MVP awards and NBA Titles, it still doesn’t make sense. Not for a young athlete in his prime.

If LeBron decided this when he was 31, still had 6 or 7 seasons left in him, had won a couple titles in America, I would say, sure, go for it, awesome, makes sense.

But this is just silly at this point. Speculation or not.

David Stern should be shitting bricks.

Drunk Ref In Belarus

This is why Americans aren’t as interested in futbol.

We like our refs to be gambling illegally and to be pushed around by the league’s front office to make questionable calls. Not renegade drunks. That’s just horrible.

Oh Dick FUCKING Bavetta. You will fall hard.

via Palmtross

The Oklahoma City Penis Pump Has First Summer Game.

I’ve decided to give the New Oklahoma City franchise a name:

The Oklahoma City Penis Pump.

It’s got a real nice sound. I’m no longer in favor of teams having animal mascots. I’d prefer for the team to be called something with elegance and grace. Something that serves as a constant reminder of what the hell went on in 07-08.

I choose Oklahoma City Penis Pump for that reason.

It is not disparaging to the citizens of Oklahoma City, they didn’t steal the Sonics. They might go to games, but who wouldn’t? It wasn’t their decision to rip a team away from its home after 40 YEARS IN SEATTLE!!!

No.

But the team should have the stain upon it. Oklahoma City Penis Pump.

Bombs was for the Oklahoma City Dick Twister. I prefer Penis Pump.

Here is a shot of the sick Summer-young-guy practice jersey.

I will not celebrate the Penis Pump.

Does anyone have any other suggestions for names for the team?

Clay Bennett is a Scumbag. David Stern Kills the Sonics. Is A Giant Piece of Trash. Kevin Durant Should Demand a Trade.

David Stern has killed the Sonics.

David Stern is a giant piece of trash.

Clay Bennett is a scumbag.

Kevin Durant should demand a trade.

No, but seriously, Kevin Durant needs to be out of Oklahoma City ASAP because, for one, Clay Bennett does not deserve to profit from him.

Secondly, its clear that the bottom line for the Oklahoma City Robber Barons is making money, not putting out a winning team. Maybe they’ll get around to it eventually, but my thinking is, if a team cannot generate revenue to make up for potential “loss” because of a difficult lease, they aren’t really being very business savvy. 

Kevin Durant is raw talent. Watching him makes me feel like Daniel Plainview in a crude oil bath. He is amazing and with the right people around him, with the right team, with the right outlook, he’ll be a superstar. 

I just don’t think he’ll find any of those things under Clay Bennett’s watchful eye.

What David Stern has done is truly amazing.

In his hands right now, he has a league that is on an incredible upswing. It is full of young, talented players, its international appeal grows larger by the second, people in America who wrote off the league after Jordan retired (the second 3 peat) are watching games again, the league has a chance to cement itself in its rightful position as a premier sport in America that is not a third string sport, not just something to watch when nothing else is on.

And what has Stern done these last few years with these gifts he has been given?

Oh, right, the whole Tim Donaghy thing which he has handled horribly, the Dick Bavetta thing which he just wishes would go away and now the Sonics getting the axe because of some shitty back door financial deal that was in place the minute Clay shit dick Bennett bought the team.

Oh, but Seattle fans, don’t worry, because you are “on the list” for a possible expansion team in the future. Awesome. Look forward to that. That must feel like great consolation seeing as a professional sport is dead in your city. 

Fuck David Stern. He’s an old man who is a liar, a thief and a tyrant. 

I have no personal ties to Seattle. I have no family there, no friends (Sherman Alexie is around there and I like his books…Death Cab For Cutie…uhh…Minus The Bear…uhh…Botch…Pretty Girls Make Graves (RIP)…) so, clearly I have no ties, but I want you to know that anyone who can think critically (even a little bit) can see what a damn shame this is. 

Boston fans booed David Stern on your behalf when the Celtics were being crowned champions this year. It wasn’t only for you (I’m sure the whole refs gambling and Stern generally being Darth Vader had something to do with it as well) but I want you to know, that even in a time of great joy for Celtics fans, we could see through the bullshit and stand up for what’s right. You can hate on Boston all you want (and by you I mean the general you: the common sports opinion that Boston is a shit-hole, that everyone here is an asshole and that Boston fans don’t deserve shit) but we know right from wrong in instances like this.

This isn’t just about the Sonics. This could be ANY team. If you are naive enough to think that your team is safe, be it the Bucks, Blazers, Heat, Mavericks, Pacers, Knicks…etc. think again. ANY TEAM could be moved swiftly under the cover of night. David Stern will not stop anyone from stealing a franchise. By allowing Clay Bennett to steal the Sonics, he has officially said “if a team isn’t making enough money according to an owner, regardless of how hard they are trying to make money or what their definition of ‘enough’ is, they can do whatever the hell they want with the team because this is an owner’s league and I will do anything to make owners happy while acting like all of the players in the league are thugs and miscreants that need to be policed and keeping the illegal gambling money rolling in. I’m a giant piece of shit, you see.” 

Sonics, you will not be forgotten.

Fire Stern from a cannon.

Elton Brand Gets Offer From Warriors (REVENGE OFFER!), Josh Smith Talks to Sixers, Gerald Green and DeSagana Diop to Mavs.

Yes Bombs, I will certainly spend 1,000+ words talking about Clay Shit Face Bennett and the giant piece of trash that is David Stern. Of course I will.

I just need to get this out there first.

In a revenge offer, or maybe just because Chris Webber is retired, the Warriors have offered Elton Brand something to think on. Hard.

$18 mil a year for half a decade is nothing to sneeze at. Especially considering what he’s gone through with the Clippers (the whole being shitty thing).

Looks like the Clips might be handcuffed.

In which case, they had better make some serious moves for some other top tier player(s) because spending all that money on Baron Davis is just foolish otherwise.

Josh Smith who was last seen making me nervous as hell every time he touched the ball in Round 1 of the 2008 Playoffs (and the “nervous as hell” is not meant in the same way that I was “nervous as hell” every time Sam Cassell touched the ball in the Playoffs) has reportedly met with the Sixers. I guess he’s serious about possibly moving up to Philly. Which might be able to help them become a more rounded team, as Smith certainly didn’t look like a scrub in the Playoffs.

I really do think the whole “The West is way better” thing would become a completely moot point if the talent distribution wasn’t as equal as it is on the lower teams in the East. In other words, take the best and/or second best player away from the 5 worst teams in the East and throw them onto the top 8 teams in the East and I’m sure you’d see a similar talent level across the board. Which is why I love the idea of someone leaving the Hawks for the Sixers.

 

Gerald Green and DeSagana Diop have signed with the Mavericks. Which is nice. Hopefully Gerald Green gets his career on track. He’s a guy that has a lot of potential. I’d hate to see it wasted.

“Sure, it’s been humbling,” agent Colin Bryant told The Associated Press. “If you’re out of the league, you have a lot of time to think about it. That’s where his hunger and focus come from. It’s a brand new Gerald Green. The rest of the league will soon find that out.”

Still a lot of moves to be made.

Celtics Win, NBA Season Ends, York Misses Basketball Already, KG Goes Crazy, Big Baby Shirtless, Scalabrine Talks Some Trash, I love 2008.

 

It’s over.

 

The Boston Celtics have done what a lot of experts said they couldn’t or wouldn’t, what I thought they probably would and what they haven’t done in 22 years. Win an NBA Championship.

I feel like they all must have read my game 6 preview…otherwise how do you explain Big Baby getting some minutes, Rondo playing like he has superhuman speed and agility, Paul Pierce staying focused and STILL getting 20 points even though his shots weren’t falling for an entire half, Kevin Garnett hitting seemingly every shot he took, Ray Allen setting a record for 3’s in a Finals game and the Celtics absolutely dismantling the LA Lakers?

Oh…right…This is EXACTLY the team they were ALL SEASON LONG.

Let it also be known that we saw exactly 0 series upsets in these NBA Finals. The team with the better record won every single series. The Finals were no different.

Let is ALSO be known that if you had to rank the top 5 teams in the NBA for 2007-08, they would HAVE to be:

1) Boston Celtics

2) Detroit Pistons

3) LA Lakers

4) San Antonio Spurs

5) New Orleans Hornets

I suspect we might start hearing a whole lot less about the (L)Eastern Conference being shitty come 08-09. Particularly if The Heat stay healthy, Beasley is as good as advertised, the Magic make improvements, the Bulls get stronger, the Cavs get SOMEONE else, The Hawks play defense and the Raptors get better. Granted these are a lot of “ifs”.

But this isn’t about the Eastern Conference. This is about the Celtics.

One team that won it all because of team unity and chemistry and amazing defense.

 

 

 

 

Paul Pierce has cemented his place in Celtics history. Pierce essentially carried the Celtics through the playoffs when Ray Allen and KG were struggling. He was The Captain and The Truth. I think in Boston we have felt for years that Pierce has never really received the respect that he has deserved. He is a complete player. He is a leader. He can take over a game when they need him to.

 

Paul Pierce will finally get some of the love that goes along with not only being a champion, but being one of the best.

Before the 2008 Finals most people would never have considered Pierce to be one of the top 25 players in the NBA. Right now? I don’t know how you could NOT put him in the top 25.

In the Playoffs this season (the best 16 teams) there were only a few guys who showed signs of being able to carry their team through tough times. LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Manu, Joe Johnson (who LOOKED like one of the best guys in the NBA in the Atlanta/Boston series). I’m having trouble thinking of anyone else who single handedly carried their team through any portion of the Finals or who just completely took over multiple games. Please let me know if I missed anyone.

Anyway, if you argue that the absolute best players in the NBA make it to the Playoffs (a slippery slope that is essentially what GOT Pierce ignored or forgotten about for so long), Pierce would HAVE TO be the alpha dog of that list this season (Chris Paul would be 2nd only because he didn’t end up winning it all).

I’m not trying to argue that Paul Pierce is the best player in the league. However, if you want to talk about the top 25 in the league based on their performances, Pierce now HAS TO be in that discussion.

Let’s just remember that Mr. T Mobile himself, Dwayne Wade, got that respect from corporations and the NBA how? Oh yeah, by CARRYING the Heat to a championship. It’s been disappointing how injured he has been lately too, because he is one guy I really respect and enjoy watching.

Maybe next season Charles Barkley can be harassing Paul Pierce is all I’m saying…

“GET ME THEM SOCKS!”

 

 

 

 

You know who I never want to hear “he’s not good enough in the clutch” about again?

 

Yeah, he’s holding the trophy above with young Greg Oden.

(Oh…that’s Bill Russell? Could have fooled me.)

Kevin Garnett was INSANE in the post-game interview. The guy was clearly still in 30,000th gear and honestly had the look of someone who was exhausted in every way possible, who had not slept in weeks and who was emotionally overjoyed. He even told Michelle she looked good! (everyone knows that’s Doc’s job. Also, on a Michele Tafoya related rant, ever notice how Paul Pierce calls her “baby” after every interview? It is hilarious. It sort of makes me wonder if they all talk about her in the locker room after games. I can just imagine them being like “Did you see Michele tonight? She looked fine. Yeah, I’d totally hit that.” etc. )

Kevin Garnett was breathing fire and spitting venom in game 6 (just as I predicted and hoped he would). He was making hard fall aways look easy, he was making jumpers over Pau Gasol’s ugly head look like he was wide open. That shot he took in the second quarter after he got fouled, the line drive off the glass? Amazing).

 

 

 

Doc Rivers proved EVERYONE wrong.

 

He might have made some mistakes; he might have made some strange instinctive decisions. But there is no doubt in my mind at all that Doc Rivers wanted nothing more than to win it all and the fact that he is so loved by his team just shows that there is definitely a lot more to him than meets the eye in some situations.

You can play the “well, the Celtics have 3 probable Hall of Famers, Doc didn’t need to do all that much to get them to perform” card. Fine. If you want to play it that way, that’s fine.

But what Doc DID do was:

1) Stick with a Sophomore Point Guard who EVERYBODY had questions about last season that sometimes looks like he IS the future of the Celtics.

2) Keep the respect of ALL his players even while not keeping a consistent rotation or guaranteeing any set amount of playing time for anyone. Try to imagine Stephon Marbury or Vince Carter or Shawn Marion playing on a team like that. What’s that? You can’t? Simply due to the horrific egos? Really? Oh. Ok. Cool.

3) Doc sold EVERYONE on the ubuntu concept. And it was beautiful to watch. This was a team that did EVERYTHING right even when they were doing things horribly wrong.

4) Develop the younger players by playing them when they were hot. Big Baby carried the Celtics through a regular season win in Detroit. Leon Powe carried the Celtics through a series of wins while KG was injured. There were ALWAYS young guys stepping up (even Gabe Pruitt got a little playing time at the end of the season).

Doc Rivers seems like a brilliant player manager (similar to Terry Francona) because he protects his young players and lets them develop and he lets his proven veterans be who they are. I really think that this type of balance, regardless of everything else, can result in great things.

And Paul Pierce with the Gatorade? Priceless. Even though The Truth has a sponsorship deal with POWERade. And speaking of POWERade, there has NEVER been a situation where one of your spokesmen getting a DUI (and generally being an asshole) has resulted in GOOD FORTUNE for a company. Before the playoffs began there were ads for POWERade all over Boston with Shawn Merriman, Ryan Howard and Carmello Anthony. After CMel got arrested? He was dropped from the ads, they changed the POWERade liquid color from blue to yellow and photo shopped Paul Pierce in CMel’s place. Bang, PERFECT! Also, why would you choose Carmello Anthony to begin with? The guy just seems like a giant asshole. I’ve never spent any time conversing with him, but I get a really bad impression based on what I’ve seen. He seems like he’s striving to be this generation’s Stephon Marbury, a guy who has a shitload of talent but cares more about himself than his team or doing what it takes to win or maybe he cares about both of those things but his ego and personality get in the way. That is why I say he should go to the Knicks. He can put up a double double every night, never have to worry about going to the playoffs and he won’t have to be a cancer to any team that is actually trying to improve.

End tangent.

 

 

 

 

On Wednesday, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett were on Letterman together. I think this was kind of a great idea (having two members of the Celtics as opposed to any single member) and they both did a really nice job. Ray Allen just comes off as the nicest guy in the world. I don’t know how you could possibly NOT like him as a person.

 

Me? I’ve always loved Ray Allen. Even when Bill Simmons was shitting on Danny Ainge last Summer when the Celts acquired him in exchange for their first rounder and some parts (Delonte, Wally – that ended up playing AGAINST the Celtics on Cleveland in the playoffs…it was a strange season…) because he (and not JUST him, but almost EVERYONE in the sports media) thought that Ray Ray was all done before the season even started.

They were wrong.

Ray Allen is just amazing. He’s a natural shooter. He can drive to the basket (just ask Sasha RayAllen’sBitch) and he has excellent ball handling skills.

Additionally, by all accounts, Ray Allen IS a great guy. he always conducts himself professionally. He is a sharp dresser. He is a surprisingly good actor and he can ball.

I loved Ray Allen when he was in Milwaukee, I loved him in Seattle (especially when he said that Kobe was a selfish bastard) and I was very excited when I heard he was coming to Boston. I think even without KG, the Celtics would have definitely been a playoff team with Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Al Jefferson. They probably would not have gotten past the second round with that lineup, but who knows (and while we’re talking about Al Jefferson, there is a guy who might be destined to play amazingly for years and be on a bad team. Maybe McHale can trade him back to the Celtics for Sam Cassell straight up…?) 

 

 

 

 

The parade was…Well, look at the pictures.

 

Leon Powe got a great reaction. Big Baby had his shirt off. Everybody had a cigar. It was incredible.

When Ray Allen came by, everybody was chanting “Shut-tles-worth!”.

Doc looked as happy as a father on the day of his son’s wedding.

It’s amazing how things can change so quickly. And yes, this was a trade-era championship. Yes, the Celtics did bring in all stars and yes, them winning a championship had A LOT to do with re-building in the off season.

But so what?

The Celtics had to move a lot of young guys with a lot of potential to get to this point. Danny Ainge still  had to make some swift free agent acquisitions even after the new three had come together. And furthermore, you can have all the stars in the world on your roster (look at the Karl Malone Lakers) but if they don’t click, if it doesn’t come together and if they aren’t all on the same page, you still aren’t going to win a championship (ahem, 2000’s Yankees).

Furthermore, the reason why these trades were so risky is that this team is clearly a time-sensitive team.

Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce will almost definitely all be retired by 2015 (if not 2014, 13, 12 or 11) and in addition, its not like guys in the NBA are age-proof. You get older. Your body cannot do a lot of the things it used to. They all have a couple years of prime basketball left (maybe 4 for Pierce, 2 for Ray and 3 for KG). If they didn’t win soon, they probably never would.

And another great side effect of having three legitimate All Stars on one team is that it makes EVERYONE around them not only play better as a player but also act better as a teammate.

Rajon Rondo was a big question mark coming into this season. After game 6 of the Finals? He looked like he could be quickly becoming one of the top 10 point guards in the NBA (qualifier: he still needs to improve his jumper and get some more range shooting, drive to the basket more fearlessly to get easy buckets and/or to draw fouls [imagine if Rondo got to the line 10 times a game? Paul Pierce needs to teach him how to tactfully take a soft hit and make it look like he got shanked] and improve his awareness [sometimes he throws it away or misses an open man]. But with all of that said, Rondo steals like Rickey Henderson, Rebounds like he’s 6′10″ and runs like he’s Chad Johnson. He’s got a lot of potential and I don’t think hanging out with three future Hall of Famers is going to make him any worse.

Big Baby was rookie. And even though he would make some mistakes, its clear that he has a lot of intensity, the determination to become a better player (the guy has lost like 60 lbs. since college) and the fearlessness of a proven veteran (even if he doesn’t always have the skill  of one).

Leon Powe is the same age as me. He looks like he’s in his 30’s. He’s fearless. He works hard. And he has a presence that let’s you know there ARE nights when he can carry the team (OFF THE BENCH MIND YOU!).

Tony Allen is kind of a fifty-fifty guy. He’s sometimes a great defender. Sometimes a liability on offense. Sometimes amazing. Sometimes not so good. If he can develop some consistency, he could be a solid bench option.

Kendrick Perkins…He is a legit big man. He pushes and shoves, rebounds like a beast and even hits the occasional spot up shot that seems  surprising even though it shouldn’t be. The guy can play Center.

And outside of the young guys, the veterans they brought in, Posey, House, PJ Brown, even Scott Pollard at the beginning of the season, all played quality basketball.

Posey MUST BE RE-SIGNED. The Celtics need that toughness. There is no better sub for Paul Pierce in the NBA. James Posey just imposes his will on guys defensively AND can shoot and aside from those two great elements, he’s just a bastard on the court. The guy will shove anyone after a whistle or play for that extra second. He’d the type of guy I would HATE if he were playing against my team, but on my team, he’s one of my favorites.

Eddie House should also be re-signed. He is a lights out shooter who stepped up big in certain crunch-time situations for the Celtics all year long. Remember that game in Charlotte the day after Thanksgiving where he somehow tipped and stole an inbound pass, got it to Ray Allen and Ray Ray hit the game winner with nothing left on the clock? Yeah. That’s what Eddie can do. He might not be the best ball handler, but he is a solid defender and always an offensive threat on the court.

Sam Cassell should probably not be resigned. He’s well past the wrong side of 30 and even though he hit a few nice shots for the Celtics, nothing was life-altering enough to make me think that they couldn’t live without him. However, I will give Sam credit for a few things, first, the guy is a three time champion, he always plays hard (even if it isn’t always great play) and he is never afraid to take big shots (even when he misses). The greatest thing about having Sam on the Celtics this season was definitely that he was on the bench with the guys to keep them intense and tell them how to play championship basketball. The guy is a natural coach. He seems to be someone who, even if he didn’t contribute so much on the court this post-season, he can definitely (and DID definitely) help any team on the bench. For these reasons, I think that the Celtics should shrewdly offer him an assistant coaching job for next season. Don’t let him go on bad terms. Give him a chance to continue to help the team in a great capacity. He clearly gets people pumped up and he LOVES to talk. I wouldn’t want to lose that element. Maybe Sam will decide that going out with a ring would be the perfect book-end to coming in with a ring (which he did in Houston in 1964…I mean…).

I don’t expect PJ Brown to play another season. Even though he did save the Celtics from the Cavs. He was more than they could have asked for in the playoffs. I think that PJ should probably ride off into the sunset with his championship ring (but if he wants to come back, shit, I’d take him!).

Scott Pollard is probably gone.

Brian Scalabrine doesn’t seem to be part of the long-term plan. But I will say that Scal had the funniest post-game interview following game 6. He really does seem like a good guy. If he goes I will certainly miss chanting “SCAL-A-BRIN-E” at the end of games to convince Doc to let him play a couple of minutes (which he did. Doc always gives the fans what they want when the Celtics are up by double digits and it is late in the fourth in the regular season).

 

 

 

After the parade I was a little let down. 

 

Another season of NBA basketball has ended.

And even though I have never in my life been able to watch and comprehend a Celtics team playing as well as this one did and I wanted them to win it all, part of me hope this season would never end.

Don’t get me wrong, a major part of me wanted to be able to go to sleep before 1:00 a.m. every night during the Playoffs (David Stern is a giant piece of garbage. By the way, during the Larry O’Brien trophy presentation when everyone was booing him [rightfully so] he said ‘oh, you’re saying Truth’, I would have tried to start a “No-One-Likes-You” chant, the only thing I fault the Game 6 crowd for NOT doing).

THIS is an exciting league again…and I’m not just saying that because the team I root for won it all.

Next year:

The Portland Trailblazers SHOULD be a force. That is a team of young, big, talented, hungry guys. Brandon Roy is just plain exciting. Greg Oden could be amazing. They should be something really special.

The New Orleans Hornets WILL BE even better. If that team makes any type of off season pick ups, they can improve. Chris Paul is just a phenom.

The Suns and Mavs will adjust somewhat and we’ll get to see if they start to get old or if start to grow. The Suns are the single team this season that absolutely embarrassed the Celtics (February 22nd). Both teams still have some really talented guys.

The Golden State drama will play out and we’ll see what happens. I love Baron Davis and I hope he sticks with them.

The Heat and Bulls could both be exponentially better next season. Both teams were NOT expected to be complete non-factors in 2007-08. I think both will rebound and would not be surprised to see both of them in the playoffs next year.

The Wizards were the only team that consistently flustered the Celtics and we will wait and see what happens with Gilbert Arenas, but they have some really good players.

The 76ers will continue to grow. Andre Igudola looks like someone who could be something special.

The Hawks made a nice run at the Celtics. If they get their act together, they could be a solid team all year. They have a lot of talent.

The Pistons are probably going to make some kind of deal. But if they retain the core of players they have (most of it) they’ll be in really good shape again. Did I ever mention that Rodney Stuckey is going to be HUGE?

The Magic have Dwight Howard. That guy is a monster. And they have Ron Jeremy coaching. What could go wrong?

The Lakers will probably win 60 games next season if Kobe returns and stays healthy along with a healthy Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them in the Finals again next season.

The Spurs are still the Spurs. Until Tim Duncan retires, they will be the Spurs. Even when Tim Duncan retires, they’ll still have a great point guard and Manu (who is somehow amazing almost all of the time).

The Raptors will attempt to sign every foreign-born free agent on the market.

The Sonics will hopefully stay in Seattle where they belong. And Kevin Durant will hopefully continue to improve and be one of the most exciting young players in the league.

Next season, I predict that the Celtics have the best record in the East, The Lakers have the best record in the west, the Timberwolves, Grizzlies, Kings, Bucks, Sonics and Knicks finish near the bottom and viewership improves substantially (but not because of ANYTHING David Stern does).

It is an exciting time for the NBA.

The best TEAM won this year.

And now I have to watch baseball for four months.

 

 

 

 

 

The NBA Finals Are Making Me Want To Puke (Game 6 Preview)

According to awesome sources Ray and Perk will both be playing tonight.

Here is my best case scenario for Kendrick Perkins:

Perkins plays 40 minutes of hard basketball, picks up 4 to 5 hard fouls, scores between 10 and 16 points and notches 15 rebounds. His toughness and general beastliness puts Pau Gasol in a terrible position as Perk is more physical, tougher, stronger and bigger. Having Perkins on the court also frees up KG to pick up only  a few fouls and play the low post to perfection.

Here is my worst case scenario for Kendrick Perkins:

Perkins plays 6 minutes of hard basketball and grabs a couple of rebounds before realizing he really isn’t strong enough to play the rest of the game. On his way out of the game he punches Kobe Bryant in the face, elbows Pau Gasol in the jaw and throws Sasha Vujacic into the upper deck (preferably section 308 where the fans will seek redemption on behalf of that guy who got beat up at the Staples Center last week). Because Perk is ejected after the melee, Doc Decides to go physical and stay BIG so he uses Glen Big Baby Davis to spell Leon Powe and PJ Brown down low.

Either way, it will be interesting.

But I’m getting all pumped up and ready to go. I’m ready to start jumping up and down like Eddie House before a tip off.

I’ve had an upset stomach all day. Anxious. Nervous. And now my adrenaline is going apeshit just from thinking about the game.

I don’t think I was ready for game 5 in this way. Tonight I am ready.

And I hope KG is ready too.

The Celtics just need to constantly play hard tonight. Nobody standing around. Nobody not going for a rebound. Nobody taking a single possession off. Nobody missing an open lay up. Nobody passing up an easy shot. Nobody being afraid to drive to the basket (ESPECIALLY YOU RONDO!!! JUST TAKE THAT SHIT IN! SLAM DUNK IT ON PAU GASOL’S UGLY FUCKING HEAD!!!!). Nobody slow getting into position. Nobody missing free throws. Nobody making unnecessary fouls. Nobody falling asleep in the event the Celtics take the lead.

Tonight needs to be the same way the Celtics played all season. Tonight they need to play like they did against Phoenix on March 26th. Never let up. In the fourth quarter, spread the ball and drain the shots. Make the Lakers lose their desire to win. Make them lose their desire to play. Make them lose their desire to live.

EVERYONE NEEDS TO COME UP BIG TONIGHT.

I expect nothing less than a superb game from Pierce, KG, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, James Posey, Eddie House, Sam Cassell, PJ Brown, Tony Allen, Leon Powe and Glen Big Baby Davis. I don’t care if they have a superb game getting guys fired up on the sidelines or getting the fans fired up in the stands or knocking down Lakers and shots on the court.

Tonight they need to breathe fire and spit venom.

Tonight they need to mean it.

Tonight they need to play like its the last game of their lives.

 

Coco Crisp Enhances His Performance, Hits Home Runs, Gets Into Fights, I Love This Guy!

Coco Crisp had a pair of home runs this weekeRd. That seems like it rarely happens.

And when he’s not being covered in milk by David Ortiz he seems to be lashing out against this season’s Yankees, the Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays.

One might say that Coco has enhanced his performance because he wants to be traded or wants to retain a starting job with the Red Sox. Maybe. One might also say that Coco’s arms look bigger than usual, he is more aggressive than ever before and he seems to be going through a power surge similar to what he did in Cleveland in 2004 and 2005.

My real question is, where did the power go?

It has taken Crisp 3 seasons with the Red Sox (two and half to be exact) to surpass the total number of Home runs he hit in 2005 with the Indians. Yes. Really.

Coco has hit 18 homeruns in a Red Sox uniform. He hit 15 in 2004 and 16 in 2005. WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?

True, his steals have gone up, but his On Base Percentage, Batting Average, RBI, Hits and Slugging Percentage have all gone down. Hard.

Typically guys don’t go from hitting .297 and .300 when they are 24-25 to hitting .256 when they are 28. His career stats make him look like he’s had the shortest “prime” career arc of anyone in baseball history (ok…maybe not as short as Brady Anderson, whose 1996 campaign is still inexplicable…sort of).

Is Coco just not that good? Is he getting old when most guys get better? Does the Boston Sports media just drive him crazy?

I don’t think we’ll know for sure until his days in Boston are over.

Me, I’ve always defended Coco. I had no problem defending him in 2006 when most fans hated him. That type of response is a knee-jerk reaction to his not being Johnny Damon. 

But at this point, he’s been here long enough that it seems like we know what to expect. He looks like a Jay Payton type hitter (though it should be mentioned that Payton also had a few mysterious “power years” that surpass Coco’s best seasons). Someone who could definitely be an everyday player on a team that either isn’t constantly trying to win it all or that has dynamic needs. He is a great fielder. He’ll do fine somewhere.

Probably not in Boston.

But then days like Saturday and Sunday come out and all of the sudden Coco Crisp’s performance is greatly enhanced.

What if he hits 15 home runs this year? What if this is the breakout year everyone has been waiting for?

That’s why I hate steroids. Because you start questioning guys who hit .261 and 15 home runs a season. Thanks a lot Bud Selig. You’ve ruined baseball for me. You and David Stern should both be fired immediately if not sooner.

Coco, just keep punching!