Game 6 was EPIC!

I’ve been a sports fan for a pretty long time. In fact, let’s keep it real…being a sports fan is something that has defined my life. Part of being a sports fan is being able to celebrate or commiserate with other fans in the fraternity. There’s a certain excitement that takes over that is enough to give you goosebumps…if you understand what it’s like to be a fan.

The comeback win by the Cardinals last night was one of those special moments. I very rarely find myself without a rooting interest in a sports contest so this was a treat for me. I got to sit back and just enjoy the tension of the moment.

It was truly incredible to see this Cardinals team come within one strike of their baseball lives…not once, but twice to rebound and win the game to force a Game 7.

Communist or Confucius?

September 11^th 2001…those three words are still powerful enough to bring many Americans over the age of 21 to the emotional brink. The events of that day are ever present in the back of our minds and were brought back to forefront by the assault and killing of Osama Bin Laden by U.S. forces last month. The jubilation seen on countless television stations here in America was understandable although this exuberance was more typical of the inhabitants of distant lands, distastefully cheering the demise of American soldiers or civilians.

Twitter had not hit the scene in 2001…the news of the events in New York traveled the “old fashioned” way…through 24 hour cable news and text messages. With Twitter now providing faster, less filtered information to the public, we are apt to find ourselves in situations with celebrities and athletes that can quickly become uncomfortable…something that Rashard Mendenhall has recently discovered. As a running back and NFL champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mendenhall has become accustomed to the adulation and blind devotion that usually accompanies an athlete of a certain status. After the death of Bin Laden, Mendenhall took to Twitter to make his voice heard.

The question that arises from this circumstance is, once again, how can we judge free speech? Rashard is right to ask the question “What kind of person celebrates death?”. Time and time again, the Al-Jazeera images of Arabs celebrating the death of innocent American citizens have been burned into my memory. When I saw those images I asked the exact same question “What kind of person celebrates death?”. What makes my question shameful is that, like many Americans, its undertone asked, “Who are these other irrational people who are behaving so despicably?” Rashard’s last tweet that asked, “How would God feel about your heart?” is a question that haunts me. Like many Americans, I hold anger in my heart toward Bin Laden and the hijackers. I want the survivors and victims of 9/11 (the parentless children, widows and widowers) to have the peace they have sought for so long. Mendenhall has a right to want people to follow the Golden Rule and do unto others, as you would have them do unto you. It is also conceivable that some would rather choose an eye for an eye.

On the surface this argument is about patriotism and loyalty to our country. The undercurrent of the response to Mendenhall seems to have very little to do with how much he loves the United States of America. The many tweeters who decided to give Mendenhall a piece of their mind received the following response: “There is not an ignorant bone in my body. I just encourage you to think”. This comment got me thinking about why Mendenhall’s comments in particular touched a nerve in so many people. Is it because he is an athlete saying these things? Is it because he is a black athlete saying these things?

With the advent of Twitter and other similar technologies, athletes are more accessible than ever before. For better or worse, the curtain has been lifted and I don’t think we will ever dial back the clock to the “good ol’ days” when athletes were seen and not heard (except for what the League wanted you to see and hear). Some sports fans would rather keep their athletes in a very specific box—one in which they can imagine the athlete to be exactly who they want them to be. A reflection of themselves, albeit with more muscles and a better 40 time.

Bulls-Heat Eastern Conference Finals Game 4 Preview

The Heat is on…both literally and figuratively. The Heat has bounced back from a lackluster Game 1 to turn in two impressive performances in a row. In Games 2 and 3, James, Wade and Bosh combined to score 63 and 73 points respectively. The Bulls in no way exhibited the trademark defense of a Tom Thibodeau coached team. In the locker room before, during and after the games, we can all be sure that Thibodeau wasn’t in love with the fact that his team is allowing James, Wade and Bosh to account for more than 75 percent of Miami’s scoring in the last two games. The inexperience of the Bulls crunch time players is a real disadvantage that was highlighted at the end of Games 2 and 3. In the last two minutes of each of those two games, Chicago has floundered. With one too many silly turnovers, pointless fouls and defensive lapses the frustration has been palpable. The pressure now rests squarely on the Bulls two award winners. Unfortunately for Chicago, only Derrick Rose has a physical impact on the game. The bottom line is that he needs help. When faced with double and triple teams aimed at taking the ball out of his hands, Rose has not been able to count on the production of his teammates which had been so consistent throughout the earlier rounds. The Bulls need more than 1 point in 29 minutes from Joakim Noah like they got in Game 3. Carlos Boozer needs to have a dominating performance on the inside and on the boards rather than a quiet 26 points. It is crucial that Rose light the fire in his teammates tonight before Game 4. In Game 1 Rose had a +14 plus/minus when in the game. In Game 2 Rose’s point differential was -12 and in Game 3 -13. As presently constructed, Derrick Rose has to be a better all around player to claim victory for Chicago.

Chicago now has a tight window, less than 12 hours, in which they need to reclaim the identity that brought them this far. Aside from the second half of Game 1, Miami has been the more poised, confidant and aggressive team. Both teams entered this series with astronomical expectations that included visions of hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy. Even though the outcome of Game 4 will not technically determine the series, the Bulls are playing for their season and a right to that trophy on Tuesday night.

Bulls-Heat Eastern Conference Finals

“The Heat can’t hang”. “The Bulls play harder”. “There is no way the Heat can contend with the offensive rebounding ability of Chicago’s bigs”. All of these statements seemed to characterize the Eastern Conference Finals after the Bulls outscored the Heat by 21 in the second half of Game 1 after the two teams had played to a draw at halftime. It seemed as though the Bulls were headed down the road to prove their worthiness to all those who doubted them due to their inexperience. The storyline seemed to fit perfectly…the NBA is transitioning to a “new guard”. Out with the old and in with the new. The Spurs? Taken down by the young boys from Memphis. The Lakers? Gone Fishin’. Three of the four teams filling out the Conference Finals docket are among the youngest in the league. The Bulls by far have the reputation of being the hardest workers left in the postseason. It is this reputation (along with the 21 point drubbing they handed out Sunday night) that opened the door for all of the doomsday prophecies that the media was so quick to ascribe to the Heat.

Now the scene shifts to Miami for a Game 3 on Sunday that will be crucial to determining which team will end up victorious. The Bulls have been very good all season in games following a loss but after the Game 2 victory, Miami has now snatched home court. The stakes cannot get higher. In a best of seven series, the winner of Game 3 wins the series over 75% of the time. The Heat has a good chance to bring the Bulls their first consecutive loss of this postseason. The keys to a win are not a secret—contain Noah and Boozer on the boards, do not allow Rose to penetrate deep and open the game up for outside shooters like Korver—but the X’s and O’s are not the only determining factors. The Heat needs to do as good a job at maintaining their defensive intensity, effort and focus as they did in Game 2. They seemingly have a distinct advantage over the Bulls in the next two games being that the Bulls have not been the same team away from the United Center. It is the inexperience of the Bulls players compared to the relative experience of the Heat players that might turn this series.

The spirit of the fans here in Miami is one of confidence. On the streets of South Beach, Stephen Taylor stated that "The Heat DON'T lose at home!"--A quote that typifies the general sentiment of many of the Miami fans that are chomping at the bit for another chance at taking down the Bulls Sunday night.

Los Angeles Lakers-Orlando Magic NBA Finals Preview

Can we all just agree to toss the notion of the “fix” being on in the NBA Finals? Is there anybody who can really argue that we do not have the two best teams squaring off for all the marbles?
The Lakers look like they have emerged from their postseason haze. They closed the series with the Nuggets by playing their most focused basketball of the playoffs. The Magic have seemingly gained momentum and confidence from each series they have played. We know which Magic team is going to show up in Los Angeles tonight. Everybody is now wondering the same question: Which Lakers team will we see tonight?
Both of these teams cause match up problems for many teams but they might be the only teams in the league that have personnel that can provide legitimate answers to those problems.
Versatility is a strength of both teams—Pau Gasol causes problems for the Magic big men because he is able to do so much on the offensive end. Dwight Howard will encounter something new to him in these playoffs—Pau will challenge him on the offensive end. Pau has a wide range of post moves that Howard has not yet had to contend with. Pau’s ability to force Howard into some early fouls will be key. On the other hand, Turkoglu and Lewis will force the Laker big men to come out as far as the three point line which is something foreign to them.
The Lakers are going to use all the manpower they have to contend with Howard—expect to see DJ Mbenga get minutes and make use of his fouls. The Lakers will depend on the defensive energy of Odom, Ariza and Bryant to contain the swing men for the Magic.
This should be an all around entertaining series. I expect the experience a drive of the Lakers to help them take control of the series. Lakers in 6.

Lakers-Nuggets Game 5 Recap

The Lakers team that showed up last night provided a glimpse of the capabilities of this team. When the Lakers are clicking on all cylinders—they can be a formidable force. The problem has been their inconsistency not their ability. There has never been a question about whether the Lakers were talented enough to be a dominant team. The questions have arisen in response to the lackadaisical play that has been on display throughout these playoffs.
Last night, the Lakers got the contributions from Lamar Odom and the bench that had been lacking in the previous four games. Odom demonstrated why he is one of the most versatile players in the league. LO made his presence known with 19 points, 14 rebounds, 4 blocks and 3 assists. The Lakers offense flowed with such ease that the stagnant, “Kobe-centric” offense that was previously on display seemed even more maddening. The biggest play of the game came courtesy of a big defensive play from Gasol. After intercepting a Chauncey Billups pass, Gasol lead the break and delivered a perfectly timed pass to Shannon Brown who stuffed the ball in the face of Chris Andersen.
Conversely, the Nuggets did not play their style of basketball and this was the first game in which Denver got hit in the mouth and did not respond. The Nuggets had a stretch from the end of the third quarter to the 7:52 mark of the fourth quarter in which they went scoreless. The Nuggets showed none of the tenacity and braggadocio that had characterized them throughout the series to this point. The good news for the Nuggets is that this series is headed back to Denver—now we just have to wait and see which Lakers team joins them there.

Lakers-Nuggets Game 5 preview

When it comes down to it, the play of the bench will determine which team has the opportunity to take control of the series. Through the first three games of the series the Nuggets’ bench averaged 22 points per game. In Game 4 however, that same bench accounted for 42 points. Better bench play begets easier wins. Bench play has been an Achilles heel for the Lakers throughout the playoffs. Kobe and Gasol have been the only consistent producers on this team. Lamar Odom is still the key bench player. Once again Lamar had a horrible game going 1-8 from the field for 5 points in 30 minutes. The Lakers must have decent production from LO to have a chance at elevating to that next level and dispatching the Nuggets.
Pau Gasol has recently griped about his lack of touches in the paint. In Game 4 Pau took 11 shots. The Lakers need to get Pau more touches considering he has been the only consistent Lakers player not named Kobe Bryant. The Nuggets have been maximizing their match up advantages and it is time for the Lakers to exploit the advantages they have.