The Manchise
Where Amazing Happens
98 Days Until Kickoff
99 Days until Kickoff
Thanks for the wait NHL...
Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals is fast approaching. As the week wears on and the anticipation builds we are beginning to see some storylines appear in this series. Can Buff be stopped? Who has the better defensive core? Who has the better Captain? Should Toews have touched the Campbell Trophy? Should Richards have not touched the Prince of Whales Trophy? Personally I believe the Finals should have started tonight. That way the media would have much less time to jam these thoughts into the players’ minds before they step out on the ice. Game 1 on Wednesday night would have laid the tracks for an unbelievable weekend showcase of the leagues two best teams. Friday night in Chicago, Sunday night in Philly, the buzz would have been tremendous if we had been given a game to lead into the weekend. But I’m not Gary Bettman (or affiliated with the NHL at all) so that thought remains solely my opinion.
Since there is nothing but speculation to talk about at this point let’s take a look at some of these lingering questions.
T Minus 100 Days
Why I love Ozzie Guillen
If any of you have turned on ESPN at all today, you have probably seen some footage of Ozzie Guillen in umpire Joe West's face over two extremely questionable balk calls. You would have seen them taunt each other, all the while pumping their chests out like raging gorillas (West's chest being a little more lumpy than Guillen's). You would have seen Ozzie Guillen at his finest as a coach. And I mean that in all seriousness.
Look, anyone can call out Ozzie as a coach and he usually deserves that criticism. But nobody on this planet can call out Ozzie for not caring about his players. The soul reason he stepped out on the field today was because he heard West say to Buehrle, "I'm going to kick you out of the game'". Ozzie felt that West was embarrassing his player, so he marched out to make sure West knew his feelings.
Sure, knowing it was Joe West probably made it easier for the Oz man to get out there (West has ejected Ozzie three times out of his total 22 ejections). Those two have more bad blood than Castor Troy and Sean Archer in Face Off. But let it be known that no matter who was umping first, and who was pitching, Ozzie would have acted the same way. He is a coach you want in your corner if you are a player, and people in Chicago need to realize that.
Call the recent success of the White Sox under Guillen a fluke, call it luck, call it whatever you want, I don't care. But Ozzie Guillen cares for his players in a day in age where coaches get fired because of their relationships with players. He may not be the most baseball savvy coach, and he may not be the most intricate coach like Joe Maddon, but he is a fighter. He is passionate and quirky. He has a fire that no one coach in the majors can match, and if I had to pick one guy to have in my corner as a player, it would be Ozzie.
The Sun shines brightest in the west
(Picture from NBA.com)
The defending champion Los Angeles Lakers were simply out dueled, out done, and out played in the desert Tuesday night. After obtaining a quick 2-0 lead over the Phoenix Suns at home, Los Angeles has lost that lead as fast as they got it.
The Suns needed a team effort Tuesday night to even the Western Conference Finals at two games a piece. As most NBA fans know, Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire (as great and electrifying as they are) cannot out play Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol by themselves. So like the old Beatles song, Nash and Stoudemire got "by with a little help from [their] friends" in route to creating a series out of what looked to be a quick blow out.
The Phoenix Suns bench was the only reason the Suns played themselves into a series tie after a 115-106 victory in game four. Even with Kobe Bryant providing his team with a 38-point, 10-assist performance in Arizona, his big game ultimately ended up as a scratch to Channing Frye, Jared Dudley, and Leandro Barbosa's game altering play.
Matthew Clemmens: Asshole of the Year
I just read a story about the most disgusting act of drunken behavior I have ever heard of. The report was on ChicagoBreakingSports.com and it described a scene that took place at a Phillies game on April 14th. It was reported that a 21 year old Phillies fan, who just turned 21 in March, pleaded guilty to vomiting on a man and his daughters.
But hey, that stuff happens sometimes, right? If you walk the streets of Iowa City on a Friday night during the school year, I'd bet that you'd see lots of that. In fact, during my sophomore year a buddy of mine fell victim to a drive by vomit-er in a local "scummy" bar. But what makes this such a repulsive act is that the 21 year old, Matthew Clemmens, stuck is fat little fingers down his throat to puke on this man on purpose.
ON PURPOSE.
Who needs the luck of the Irish, when you have Rajon Rondo?
(Picture from pendletonpanther.com)
After tonights overtime loss against the Magic (a game that should have been handily won by the Celtics, might I add), I have three thoughts about the future Eastern Conference Champions. The first being that the Magic don't stand a "fighters" chance to make this a compelling series. If they don't lose this next game in Orlando, I'd be surprised. The Celtics played about as bad as they could in the first half and were only down by four. The Rajon Rondo we are all used to seeing in the playoffs, was still in the locker room having a slam dunk contest with Nate Robinson when the ball went up. As was Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, who came out of the gate flatter than Paris Hilton's chest. No wonder Jameer Nelson finally scored more than four points. I guarantee Rondo will watch that film and see how abscent he was for most of the context. You can be he will correct his inability to take control of the paint faster than you can say "Larry Legend".
The second thought is, when was this team of Zombies fed an antidote that allowed them two more months of super human strength? I mean really? Kevin Garnett had half a knee all season, Doc Rivers looked like a lock to quit after the year ended, and Paul Pierce looked like he played one to many purposeless game.
The third is more of a statement to The Big 3. Your wheel chairs are being pushed, and are going to continue to be pushed, by Rajon Rondo. Period. He is a bigger superstar right now than every single one of you. Winning a title this year wont be based on how well Allen's shooting. It wont be based on Garnett's emotional leadership on the court. It will be on the shoulders of the young kid from Kentucky that everyone had a problem with just two years ago. It is all on how well Rajon Rondo can slice, dice, cut, and butcher the Lakers.
Hawks Headed to the Finals!!!
