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Pass
the Tom's Sorry, LeBron. Take a seat on the playoff couch, and pass the Tom's Snacks. I suggest the new "Crunchy Cheesers". While you're at it, can you make a call to Nike and have them destroy that lame "puppet" commercial, too? It's as pathetic as your supporting cast that masqueraded in Cavs uniforms during the Orlando series. Cleveland was so overmatched, it makes you wonder how Mike Brown found a way to win 66 games in the regular season (not to mention the first eight games of the post-season, too).
I love watching LeBron play, but it takes two to tango in the NBA. It's been that way for decades in the league, and until Cleveland finds another "playa" to ying after LeBron's yang, then the Cavs and LeBron will subject themselves to disappointing playoff results. Even Michael Jordan had another go-to guy...same goes for Kobe, too....all the great teams had two guys...and that's the problem with LeBron's current team. We'll see if NBA Executive of the Year Danny Ferry can work his magic in the off-season. In the meantime, get ready for the NBA Finals starring Kobe and Superman....I wonder how long it will take Nike to work another stuffed puppet into the mix? Oops, I forgot; Dwight Howard is an Adidas guy....thank goodness. I've got to hand it to Kyle Busch and Dale, Jr....they put on quite a show this weekend, in Dover. I'm not even talking about the race, but the pre-race barbs between the two drivers. It's exactly what NASCAR needs to spice up what has been a below-par season to date. Jeremy Mayfield's suspension, terrible TV ratings and Junior's disappointing start have made all the headlines. Maybe the move to replace Tony Eury, Jr. will be exactly what Dale, Jr. needs? Time will tell, but what did Rick Hendrick have to lose by making the switch at the halfway point of the "regular season"? Junior was 19th in points and going nowhere fast. His 40th place showing in Charlotte was embarrassing, and the team had zero mojo. So, Hendrick makes the switch with the crew chief position, and Junior responds with a 12th place showing in Dover. Not great, not bad...but certainly an improvement from the past handful of races. Watching the 88-team in June will be fascinating. One thing is certain...there are no more excuses for Dale Junior or his fans. He has been exposed like never before. It's time for Dale, Jr. to show off his skills. As I'm writing this blog entry, the NCAA Baseball Tournament continues to take place, with the regionals being played around the country. The Tar Heels did their part, by disposing of everyone in sight and advancing to the Super Regionals. They will play the winner of the East Carolina - South Carolina series, which is taking place in Greenville. Regardless of which team survives, the match-up with UNC will be a good one. Mike Fox has done a tremendous job, as he tries to get the Heels to Omaha for the fourth consecutive year. As the nation's #4 seed, you've got to like their chances. There were two amazing scores in the regionals of the NCAA tourney. The first one took place in Austin, Texas, where the Longhorns and the BC Eagles made history by playing the longest game in tourney history....25 innings. Eventually, Texas prevailed and BC headed back to Beantown. The other score was down at Florida State, where the 'Noles beat the Ohio State Buckeyes, 37-6.....that's not a typo...37-6. Evidently, the "No Mercy" rule doesn't count in the NCAA Tournament...FSU led 32-0 as the game headed to the bottom of the 5th inning. For the record, Jim Tressel doesn't coach the baseball team. The reason I know that is because the Buckeyes defeated Georgia earlier in the day in an elimination game, and we all know that Ohio State never beats anyone from the SEC in the post-season.
After watching Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals, I realized that the Pittsburgh Penguins have come to their senses. After watching them play awesome, wide-open hockey in the Eastern Conference Finals against Carolina, it took one game for them to act timid and get punked by the defending champs in Hockeytown. I really hope the Pens win it. I loved watching the offensive approach by Crosby and Malkin, and we all know that Pittsburgh fell short in 6 games to Detroit last year. It's also disturbing to know that Conan O'Brien and his Peacock suits have more power than Lord Stanley's Cup. Game 1 and 2 were moved up, so as not to interfere with the debut of the new Tonight Show staring Conan. That's a scary thought, but we all know that TV dictates everything in sports. Here's hoping that the Pens can get back to playing wide-open and making it a great series. Somebody explain to me how Charles Barkley keeps his job at TNT? It's one thing to get busted driving drunk and chasing skanks. Sir Charles accomplished that feat on New Year's Eve, which prompted the network to suspend him for a little while. It's one thing to get caught not paying your Vegas gambling debts, which totaled hundreds of thousands of dollars. Sir Charles later repaid the debt and vowed to quit gambling in the immediate future. He has since returned to his gambling ways. Now, the Round Mound of Rebound has stuck his foot in his mouth in TNT's closing broadcast of this year's NBA Playoffs. It's one thing to call a co-host "numbnuts" on the air (which Barkley did when he was interrupted by fellow broadcasters Kenny Smith and Reggie Miller). But Sir Charles saved the best for last, when partner Ernie Johnson was giving closing credits to their producer and director. Barkley pulled the second-grade, "coughing" prank to describe his thoughts on TNT's producer by mentioning the word "pussy". How classy. Apparently, everyone on the set was stunned for a brief second before continuing the dialogue. Was Barkley drunk? Exhausted? Stupid? Evidently, it doesn't matter. I can assure you that if I uttered the same word today on the radio to describe any fellow CBS employee, I would be fired on the spot. Just two weeks ago, David Feherty of CBS Sports fought for his job after publishing a lame joke about Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority leader Harry Reid. It was tasteless and quite frankly, not very funny. He survived, but there was a ton of national media all over the story. I haven't seen the first story written about Barkley's latest blunder. Maybe it's OK to just shove this screw-up under the rug, like so many of his past mistakes. I really like Barkley's candid take on the NBA, but this time he should have been fired. |
Packman
on Sports Commentary
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