Round of 16
South Korea over South Africa
Argentina over Mexico
England over Ghana
Germany over United States
Netherlands over Paraguay
Italy over Japan
Brazil over Spain
Cote d'Ivoire over Chile
Quarterfinals
England over South Korea
Brazil over Netherlands
Argentina over Germany
Italy over Cote d'Ivoire
Semifinals
Brazil over England
Argentina over Italy
Finals
Brazil over Argentina
Please note that these are expert prediction and will most certainly come true. I strongly advise you to bet your entire fortune on these predictions. They were made with the Southern Hemisphere theory in mind, which reasons that since the World Cup is being played in the Southern Hemisphere, countries from the Southern Hemisphere will have a better chance than they would've had the Cup been played in the Northern Hemisphere. Again, please bet your entire life savings on these picks. They can't possibly be wrong.
note: These prediction may only be used for gambling purposes.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Game 4 - The Blistering Bench
For the second straight game, Big Baby Davis had a monster 4th quarter. In all, Davis ended with 18 points and 5 rebounds in only 22 minutes of action. Doc Rivers finally showed more trust in the quick-scoring little man, Nate Robinson. Robinson scored 12 points in a mere 17 minutes of play.
Robinson's play was much needed as Rajon Rondo struggled once again. At his best, Rondo's game still has holes. He cannot shoot from the outside, tends to over-dribble, and gambles too much on defense. But his strengths usually outweigh his weaknesses. He's magnificent at finishing at the rim, is a great passer when given space or in transition, has a propensity for steals, and is an excellent rebounder. In Game 4, Rondo had trouble shooting, even open shots at the basket, posting 5-15 on the night.
But a steal by Rondo late in the 4th quarter and subsequent layup gave the Celtics an insurmountable 8-point lead. The Celtics eventually won 96-89 to tie the series at two games with one more in Boston.
Paul Pierce started fast. The Celtics went away from him for most of the rest of the game though. He still added 19 points to the cause. Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett had poor shooting nights, but put in double figures. The game, however, was won in the fourth quarter. Boston's bench played superbly. In addition to Davis and Robinson, Rasheed Wallace and Tony Allen added key intangibles. 36 of Boston's 96 points game in the 4th, thanks to the bench.
The Lakers were badly out-rebounded. Ron Artest and Lamar Odom tied for the team lead with 7. Kobe Bryant scored 33 and Pau Gasol contributed 21, but the rest of the Lakers were M.I.A. The Lakers role players were no match for Boston, who had 6 players score in double figures. In the 4th, even the Laker starters couldn't keep up with Boston's bench.
Robinson's play was much needed as Rajon Rondo struggled once again. At his best, Rondo's game still has holes. He cannot shoot from the outside, tends to over-dribble, and gambles too much on defense. But his strengths usually outweigh his weaknesses. He's magnificent at finishing at the rim, is a great passer when given space or in transition, has a propensity for steals, and is an excellent rebounder. In Game 4, Rondo had trouble shooting, even open shots at the basket, posting 5-15 on the night.
But a steal by Rondo late in the 4th quarter and subsequent layup gave the Celtics an insurmountable 8-point lead. The Celtics eventually won 96-89 to tie the series at two games with one more in Boston.
Paul Pierce started fast. The Celtics went away from him for most of the rest of the game though. He still added 19 points to the cause. Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett had poor shooting nights, but put in double figures. The game, however, was won in the fourth quarter. Boston's bench played superbly. In addition to Davis and Robinson, Rasheed Wallace and Tony Allen added key intangibles. 36 of Boston's 96 points game in the 4th, thanks to the bench.
The Lakers were badly out-rebounded. Ron Artest and Lamar Odom tied for the team lead with 7. Kobe Bryant scored 33 and Pau Gasol contributed 21, but the rest of the Lakers were M.I.A. The Lakers role players were no match for Boston, who had 6 players score in double figures. In the 4th, even the Laker starters couldn't keep up with Boston's bench.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
ELL Season 7 Review
Maybe it's like retiring in the emotion following a tough fight, but the Evil Leaders League has had a good run. All good things must come to an end, although it seems all evil leaders go on for decades. What gives? Anyway. we've had a good run. The ELL ousted Musharraf from power, no small task. We were instrumental in Omar Bongo's death. The regret is that we couldn't depose or kill (not CIA style, mind you) more of these evil bastards. But taking down two evil leaders is pretty good for an obscure website devoted to meshing politics and anal warts jokes.
The Champion - Than Shwe 4-3 (2-0)
Sure, the Burmese ruler of Myanmar is evil. He's killed protesting Buddhist monks. He refused international aid for his suffering people in the wake of a devastating cyclone. He does not allow dissents. And he's secretly attempting to build a nuclear program. But none of those reasons are why he won this season. The real reason is that Ellen Page really hates Than Shwe, and I appreciate her dry wit..
Check out the best out-of-context lines from this season in the Highlights section.
The Challengers
Hamid Karzai 5-2 (1-1) - Bush's boy has been Obama's headache. Karzai has always been ineffective and has allowed corruption, but this season he upped the ante by threatening to join the Taliban.
Omar al-Bashir 6-1 (0-1) - A genocide has only so much shelf life. At some point, it becomes yesterday's news without help from a highly-paid PR firm.
Kim Jong-Il 5-2 (0-1) - He must've been picked on as a child, 'cuz he sure relishes the role of instigating things. Maybe the kids didn't like his hair, sunglasses, or autocratic personality.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 3-4 - If rhetoric was evil action, he'd be Muhammad Ali. As it is, he's Andrew Golata.
The Relegated
Teodoro Obiang 3-4 - When you live in an oil rich country, people tend to let your evil quirks slide.
Silvio Berlusconi 2-5 - 3-time prime minister, corruption allegations, extra-marital affairs, the mafia, statue in the face- doesn't make for much of an evil leader, but it's enough for a hell of a sitcom.
Evo Morales 0-7 - Latin America's cutest indigenous leader is a leftist, socialist, Marxist. But it's 2010, this side of Pat Boone, who really cares any more?
What have we learned from this seven season exercise? Perhaps it's that there are leaders who perform evil acts and their biggest punishment is a stern scolding. Perhaps it's that the human mind seems to be able to justify any evil. Perhaps it's that the U.S. mistakes truly despicable leaders and those who pose little to no threat but have competing interests with the U.S. Perhaps it's that Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov produces more milk a year from his giant man boobs than all of his country's goats combined.
Maybe we haven't really learned anything. At the very least, we hope you chuckled out loud at least once during these seven glorious seasons.
The Champion - Than Shwe 4-3 (2-0)
Sure, the Burmese ruler of Myanmar is evil. He's killed protesting Buddhist monks. He refused international aid for his suffering people in the wake of a devastating cyclone. He does not allow dissents. And he's secretly attempting to build a nuclear program. But none of those reasons are why he won this season. The real reason is that Ellen Page really hates Than Shwe, and I appreciate her dry wit..
Check out the best out-of-context lines from this season in the Highlights section.
The Challengers
Hamid Karzai 5-2 (1-1) - Bush's boy has been Obama's headache. Karzai has always been ineffective and has allowed corruption, but this season he upped the ante by threatening to join the Taliban.
Omar al-Bashir 6-1 (0-1) - A genocide has only so much shelf life. At some point, it becomes yesterday's news without help from a highly-paid PR firm.
Kim Jong-Il 5-2 (0-1) - He must've been picked on as a child, 'cuz he sure relishes the role of instigating things. Maybe the kids didn't like his hair, sunglasses, or autocratic personality.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 3-4 - If rhetoric was evil action, he'd be Muhammad Ali. As it is, he's Andrew Golata.
The Relegated
Teodoro Obiang 3-4 - When you live in an oil rich country, people tend to let your evil quirks slide.
Silvio Berlusconi 2-5 - 3-time prime minister, corruption allegations, extra-marital affairs, the mafia, statue in the face- doesn't make for much of an evil leader, but it's enough for a hell of a sitcom.
Evo Morales 0-7 - Latin America's cutest indigenous leader is a leftist, socialist, Marxist. But it's 2010, this side of Pat Boone, who really cares any more?
What have we learned from this seven season exercise? Perhaps it's that there are leaders who perform evil acts and their biggest punishment is a stern scolding. Perhaps it's that the human mind seems to be able to justify any evil. Perhaps it's that the U.S. mistakes truly despicable leaders and those who pose little to no threat but have competing interests with the U.S. Perhaps it's that Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov produces more milk a year from his giant man boobs than all of his country's goats combined.
Maybe we haven't really learned anything. At the very least, we hope you chuckled out loud at least once during these seven glorious seasons.
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Game 3 - Flipping the Script
Game 3 in Boston was Bizarro Game 2 in Los Angeles. After a quick start by Boston thanks to Garnett, who finished with 25 points and was the only effective Celtic starter, the Lakers stormed past and took a commanding lead in the second quarter. The Celtics powered back in the third and the game was competitive until the Lakers made a final sprint at the end, winning 91-84.
Kobe did not shoot well, but scored 29 points, grabbed 7 boards, and added 3 blocks. The story, however, was Derek Fisher. The veteran guard scored 16 points, 11 in the 4th. Fisher has won 4 championships and knows when his team needs him to turn it on. Thankfully for his 35-year old legs, that isn't often. But he is customarily more proficient on the road than at home and this series has been no different. Lamar Odom added 12 timely points on 5-5 shooting.
For the Celtics, Ray Allen had a historic reversal of fortune. He shot 0-13 from the field and missed all 8 of his shots from long distance. To put his Game 2 performance into perspective, he tallied 8-19 from 3-point range during the two games, a better than 40% clip. Big Baby Davis had another solid game off the bench with 12 points. Nate Robinson scored a point-a-minute, but only played 5 of them. Pierce struggled once again. Rondo had another largely poor game.
The Lakers have taken home court advantage back. This series has been marred by poor officiating. Each game has featured a litany of early foul trouble for both teams. The problem is a large number of phantom fouls, influencing the outcome of the contests, have been called. In the last two minutes of Game 3, three times the officials needed to go to the monitor to check on their call. All three times, they had originally gotten it wrong.
Kobe did not shoot well, but scored 29 points, grabbed 7 boards, and added 3 blocks. The story, however, was Derek Fisher. The veteran guard scored 16 points, 11 in the 4th. Fisher has won 4 championships and knows when his team needs him to turn it on. Thankfully for his 35-year old legs, that isn't often. But he is customarily more proficient on the road than at home and this series has been no different. Lamar Odom added 12 timely points on 5-5 shooting.
For the Celtics, Ray Allen had a historic reversal of fortune. He shot 0-13 from the field and missed all 8 of his shots from long distance. To put his Game 2 performance into perspective, he tallied 8-19 from 3-point range during the two games, a better than 40% clip. Big Baby Davis had another solid game off the bench with 12 points. Nate Robinson scored a point-a-minute, but only played 5 of them. Pierce struggled once again. Rondo had another largely poor game.
The Lakers have taken home court advantage back. This series has been marred by poor officiating. Each game has featured a litany of early foul trouble for both teams. The problem is a large number of phantom fouls, influencing the outcome of the contests, have been called. In the last two minutes of Game 3, three times the officials needed to go to the monitor to check on their call. All three times, they had originally gotten it wrong.
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
My Night at Yankee Stadium
Last Saturday I went to the first boxing card in the new Yankee Stadium. The main event featured Yuri Foreman and Miguel Cotto. I was once in San Juan, but there more Puerto Ricans in and around Yankee Stadium for the fight.
I sat three rows from the top of the huge stadium. My seat was even higher than the gigantic scoreboard. It was muggy as hell. The evening included your typical fight in the stands and rush of police to the scene. I guess one guy really thought Terry Buterbaugh deserved his unanimous decision victory and the other guy thought Tommy Rainone was robbed. But one thing's for sure; they were both drunk. A reporter interviewed me for my prediction on the fight. With an apologetic smile, he asked who I was picking and I declared my allegiance for Foreman in front of a section of curious Cotto supporters.
Some of the non-Puerto Ricans included a small group of Irish guys sitting behind me who frequent the bar that James Moore tends. There was also a large group of Poles to my left supporting Pawel Wolak. In the upper deck, we could barely hear the announcers or the ring music, but that was the one decision we could kind of make out. As soon as the name Pawel was announced, one of the Irish guys behind me began to cheer in ecstasy until he was told that James Moore had actually lost. That prompted the line of the night, "How drunk are you to mistake 'Pawel' for 'James'?"
At one point, a nebbishy guy with slacks, binoculars, and one of those old timey caps sat in our section. He was greeted with the sarcastic question, "Who are you rooting for?" Another person declared, "Looks like we have a Foreman fan." I was wearing a shirt with Tel Aviv written on it in Yuri Foreman's black and yellow. I definitely garnered looks and whispers. But the crowd was generally gracious.
I did receive some razzing though. As the crowd erupted when Cotto made his ring walk, one guy tapped me on the shoulder and sarcastically asked, "Why aren't you joining in?" I gave a sheepish smile. While screaming my head off as Yuri entered, he advised me that, "he can't hear you." I retorted, "Cotto couldn't hear you." He fired back, "But he could hear all of us." I had to concede the point. But a guy to my right came to my defense, "Hey, he's a true fan!" which was greeted by a number of affirmative head nods.
It was thrilling to stay seated through each national anthem. Apparently, Puerto Rico, despite not being a nation, has a national anthem. The Israeli anthem was greeted with chants of “Cotto!” Most people stood for the U.S. anthem.
The first punch thrown was a jab that snapped back Foreman's head. In return, Foreman stuck out a weak jab that came up short, and I had flashbacks to Khan-Salita. Thankfully, history did not repeat itself.
The crowd went crazy every time Cotto threw, but I felt Yuri blocked a lot of Cotto's efforts early on. Still Cotto won the first two rounds unquestionably. There were some cries of, "He's a bum," during those first few rounds. People were unhappy with Yuri's constant movement. Others approved, “He’s a slippery fucker.” Yuri won the 3rd round in my estimation and no one can deny him the 4th. Cotto adjusted in the 5th though, but Yuri was competitive. He just needed to find the rhythm he established during the 3rd and 4th rounds.
Then it happened. He went down in the 7th. I knew Yuri's chances were over at that point. The guy needs to move to be successful and he couldn't move. I thought it was an ankle at first. Turns out it was a torn meniscus. Yuri couldn't move, so he decided to go out on his laurels and trade with Cotto. As Yuri kept fighting, a Puerto Rican fan yelled, "I respect that! I respect him!" Everyone agreed.
In the 8th, the towel came in and everyone entered the ring. I didn't want to be subjected to all the coming razzing, so I stood up to go. I gave a shrug to one Cotto fan. He answered, "It was a good fight though. Good fight." I began the long walk out of the stadium.
On the way down, someone yelled, "The fight's back on." I figured it was a hoax. Someone else yelled the same thing and a few people fell for the bait. I heard a loud cheer, guessing Cotto's interview had just finished. Someone said, "I guess they restarted it just so Cotto could end it with a body shot." I had my suspicions at that point, but it wasn't until I called my brother that I learned the truth.
I'm proud of Yuri, but disappointed. I guess many of us underestimated Cotto's greatness. We thought he had too many tough fights and his reflexes would be slowed. I had dreams of stardom for my favorite fighter. It was not to be. But he gained tons of respect. When I came back to boxing a couple of years ago, Yuri was the guy I decided would be my favorite. In that sense, it's very vindicating. You always want to be proud of the guy you root for. I am.
I sat three rows from the top of the huge stadium. My seat was even higher than the gigantic scoreboard. It was muggy as hell. The evening included your typical fight in the stands and rush of police to the scene. I guess one guy really thought Terry Buterbaugh deserved his unanimous decision victory and the other guy thought Tommy Rainone was robbed. But one thing's for sure; they were both drunk. A reporter interviewed me for my prediction on the fight. With an apologetic smile, he asked who I was picking and I declared my allegiance for Foreman in front of a section of curious Cotto supporters.
Some of the non-Puerto Ricans included a small group of Irish guys sitting behind me who frequent the bar that James Moore tends. There was also a large group of Poles to my left supporting Pawel Wolak. In the upper deck, we could barely hear the announcers or the ring music, but that was the one decision we could kind of make out. As soon as the name Pawel was announced, one of the Irish guys behind me began to cheer in ecstasy until he was told that James Moore had actually lost. That prompted the line of the night, "How drunk are you to mistake 'Pawel' for 'James'?"
At one point, a nebbishy guy with slacks, binoculars, and one of those old timey caps sat in our section. He was greeted with the sarcastic question, "Who are you rooting for?" Another person declared, "Looks like we have a Foreman fan." I was wearing a shirt with Tel Aviv written on it in Yuri Foreman's black and yellow. I definitely garnered looks and whispers. But the crowd was generally gracious.
I did receive some razzing though. As the crowd erupted when Cotto made his ring walk, one guy tapped me on the shoulder and sarcastically asked, "Why aren't you joining in?" I gave a sheepish smile. While screaming my head off as Yuri entered, he advised me that, "he can't hear you." I retorted, "Cotto couldn't hear you." He fired back, "But he could hear all of us." I had to concede the point. But a guy to my right came to my defense, "Hey, he's a true fan!" which was greeted by a number of affirmative head nods.
It was thrilling to stay seated through each national anthem. Apparently, Puerto Rico, despite not being a nation, has a national anthem. The Israeli anthem was greeted with chants of “Cotto!” Most people stood for the U.S. anthem.
The first punch thrown was a jab that snapped back Foreman's head. In return, Foreman stuck out a weak jab that came up short, and I had flashbacks to Khan-Salita. Thankfully, history did not repeat itself.
The crowd went crazy every time Cotto threw, but I felt Yuri blocked a lot of Cotto's efforts early on. Still Cotto won the first two rounds unquestionably. There were some cries of, "He's a bum," during those first few rounds. People were unhappy with Yuri's constant movement. Others approved, “He’s a slippery fucker.” Yuri won the 3rd round in my estimation and no one can deny him the 4th. Cotto adjusted in the 5th though, but Yuri was competitive. He just needed to find the rhythm he established during the 3rd and 4th rounds.
Then it happened. He went down in the 7th. I knew Yuri's chances were over at that point. The guy needs to move to be successful and he couldn't move. I thought it was an ankle at first. Turns out it was a torn meniscus. Yuri couldn't move, so he decided to go out on his laurels and trade with Cotto. As Yuri kept fighting, a Puerto Rican fan yelled, "I respect that! I respect him!" Everyone agreed.
In the 8th, the towel came in and everyone entered the ring. I didn't want to be subjected to all the coming razzing, so I stood up to go. I gave a shrug to one Cotto fan. He answered, "It was a good fight though. Good fight." I began the long walk out of the stadium.
On the way down, someone yelled, "The fight's back on." I figured it was a hoax. Someone else yelled the same thing and a few people fell for the bait. I heard a loud cheer, guessing Cotto's interview had just finished. Someone said, "I guess they restarted it just so Cotto could end it with a body shot." I had my suspicions at that point, but it wasn't until I called my brother that I learned the truth.
I'm proud of Yuri, but disappointed. I guess many of us underestimated Cotto's greatness. We thought he had too many tough fights and his reflexes would be slowed. I had dreams of stardom for my favorite fighter. It was not to be. But he gained tons of respect. When I came back to boxing a couple of years ago, Yuri was the guy I decided would be my favorite. In that sense, it's very vindicating. You always want to be proud of the guy you root for. I am.
Monday, June 07, 2010
Game 2 - Barrage of Threes
One, two, three... seven! That's the number of threw-point makes Ray Allen contributed to the Celtics cause in the first half of Game 2 in Los Angeles. Allen ended with eight for the game and 32 points. Rajon Rondo's play was another storyline for the Celtics. Despite a number of mistakes, he posted his fifth career playoff triple double, 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists.
For the Lakers, Kobe Bryant scored only 21 on 20 shots. He was in foul trouble for much of the game. Two of the fouls called against him were highly dubious however. Pau Gasol had 25 points and Andrew Bynum scored 21, but the Lakers defense was not up to the high standard they featured in Game 1.
The Celtics took a big lead in the second quarter thanks to Allen's shooting. But the Lakers crept back and from early in the third quarter on, the game was competitive. Kobe got his 4th foul halfway through the quarter, but only Gasol and Bynum stepped up. Meanwhile, Boston's bench was effective in the wake of Pierce and Garnett's struggles. Big Baby Davis scored 8, Rasheed Wallace had 7, and Nate Robinson threw in 7 in 6 fourth quarter minutes.
Winning 103-94, the Celtics head back to Boston having stolen home court advantage and tying the series at one game each.
For the Lakers, Kobe Bryant scored only 21 on 20 shots. He was in foul trouble for much of the game. Two of the fouls called against him were highly dubious however. Pau Gasol had 25 points and Andrew Bynum scored 21, but the Lakers defense was not up to the high standard they featured in Game 1.
The Celtics took a big lead in the second quarter thanks to Allen's shooting. But the Lakers crept back and from early in the third quarter on, the game was competitive. Kobe got his 4th foul halfway through the quarter, but only Gasol and Bynum stepped up. Meanwhile, Boston's bench was effective in the wake of Pierce and Garnett's struggles. Big Baby Davis scored 8, Rasheed Wallace had 7, and Nate Robinson threw in 7 in 6 fourth quarter minutes.
Winning 103-94, the Celtics head back to Boston having stolen home court advantage and tying the series at one game each.
Saturday, June 05, 2010
Off to Yankee Stadium
How many people alive can say they witnessed a world boxing championship fight featuring a Jewish fighter in Yankke Stadium. I'm guessing not too many.
If all goes well later today, I will. WBA junior middleweight champion, and rabbi-in-training, Yuri Foreman, will be battling Miguel Cotto. Foreman's been my favorite fighter since I came back to boxing a few years ago. No is his chance. And G-d willing, I'll be there!
If all goes well later today, I will. WBA junior middleweight champion, and rabbi-in-training, Yuri Foreman, will be battling Miguel Cotto. Foreman's been my favorite fighter since I came back to boxing a few years ago. No is his chance. And G-d willing, I'll be there!
Thursday, June 03, 2010
Game 1: Between a Rock and a Hard Place
How they got here:
The Lakers coasted in the West during the regular season. With the addition of Ron Artest, they appeared unstoppable before the season. Even with Artest's lackluster season, injuries to Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, and Kobe Bryant being banged up, coach Phil Jackson guided the Lakers to the first seed in the West. The young Oklahoma City Thunder gave the Lakers a test in round one, but L.A. took four of six. The Lakers swept the Utah Jazz and went on to win an intriguing series with the Phoenix Suns, one in which Kobe dominated, 4-2.
The Celtics looked old for most of the regular season. Like sick puppies, you almost hoped someone would put Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce out of their misery. But coach Doc Rivers had a plan all along. The point guard, young stud Rajon Rondo, led the Celtics to the 4th seed. The team was healthy by playoff time and eased past the Miami Heat in five. They upset LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavs in six, and, after a 3-0 start, backed into a 4-2 win over the Orlando Magic.
Game One:
Phil Jackson became enraged as an interview was being conducted during the 4th quarter of Game 1 with comedian Chris Rock, who sitting in the front row. At another point, Rock, sitting next to Kobe, attempted to joke around with the star guard. Kobe would have none of it. The game's best player finished with 30 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists as he continued his impersonation of Oscar Robertson this playoff season.
The game was sloppy and the players seemed to lack focus at times. This was due to the fact that the lay off between the conference finals and tonight's game was essentially another all star break. Rondo epitomized this as he fell asleep in the backcourt with the ball at the end of the first quarter. Back up guard Jordan Farmer ripped the ball from the giant hands of Rondo, who played poorly despite 13 points and 8 assists.
But it was the Lakers' starters who carried the day. Derek Fisher started things, knocking down big shots. He finished with 9. Gasol had 23 points, 14 rebounds, and played tough defense in the post. Artest's defense was superb. So was Kobe's. The Lakers stayed comfortably ahead for much of the game. For the Celtics, Pierce had 24 points on 13 shots, but those numbers are deceptively good. Garnett struggled and Ray Allen was in foul trouble. Boston was badly outrebounded. The Lakers continued their undefeated playoff run at home with a 102-89 victory.
The Lakers coasted in the West during the regular season. With the addition of Ron Artest, they appeared unstoppable before the season. Even with Artest's lackluster season, injuries to Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, and Kobe Bryant being banged up, coach Phil Jackson guided the Lakers to the first seed in the West. The young Oklahoma City Thunder gave the Lakers a test in round one, but L.A. took four of six. The Lakers swept the Utah Jazz and went on to win an intriguing series with the Phoenix Suns, one in which Kobe dominated, 4-2.
The Celtics looked old for most of the regular season. Like sick puppies, you almost hoped someone would put Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce out of their misery. But coach Doc Rivers had a plan all along. The point guard, young stud Rajon Rondo, led the Celtics to the 4th seed. The team was healthy by playoff time and eased past the Miami Heat in five. They upset LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavs in six, and, after a 3-0 start, backed into a 4-2 win over the Orlando Magic.
Game One:
Phil Jackson became enraged as an interview was being conducted during the 4th quarter of Game 1 with comedian Chris Rock, who sitting in the front row. At another point, Rock, sitting next to Kobe, attempted to joke around with the star guard. Kobe would have none of it. The game's best player finished with 30 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists as he continued his impersonation of Oscar Robertson this playoff season.
The game was sloppy and the players seemed to lack focus at times. This was due to the fact that the lay off between the conference finals and tonight's game was essentially another all star break. Rondo epitomized this as he fell asleep in the backcourt with the ball at the end of the first quarter. Back up guard Jordan Farmer ripped the ball from the giant hands of Rondo, who played poorly despite 13 points and 8 assists.
But it was the Lakers' starters who carried the day. Derek Fisher started things, knocking down big shots. He finished with 9. Gasol had 23 points, 14 rebounds, and played tough defense in the post. Artest's defense was superb. So was Kobe's. The Lakers stayed comfortably ahead for much of the game. For the Celtics, Pierce had 24 points on 13 shots, but those numbers are deceptively good. Garnett struggled and Ray Allen was in foul trouble. Boston was badly outrebounded. The Lakers continued their undefeated playoff run at home with a 102-89 victory.
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Jim Joyce Must Be Fired
Moments ago, Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers (and former Nats prospect) threw what looked like to be the second perfect game this week and the 21st in the history of major league baseball. Jason Donald grounded the ball to first. Galarraga caught first baseman Miguel Cabrera's throw and touched first before Donald had. Galarraga beat Donald by half-a-step, usually an easy call for an umpire.
But, for some reason, it wasn't. Jim Joyce called Donald safe. Galarraga's perfect game was gone. There was nothing that could be done. He then retired his 28th straight batter.
Umpires get things wrong. Sometimes they get it wrong badly. They're human. This blown call doesn't make Jim Joyce a bad guy. But, for an umpire, when it matters most, you must get the call right. It was a fairly easy call for an experienced umpire in a huge moment. Joyce blew the call. When it counted most, Joyce did not come through. Instead, he failed badly. He must be fired.
But, for some reason, it wasn't. Jim Joyce called Donald safe. Galarraga's perfect game was gone. There was nothing that could be done. He then retired his 28th straight batter.
Umpires get things wrong. Sometimes they get it wrong badly. They're human. This blown call doesn't make Jim Joyce a bad guy. But, for an umpire, when it matters most, you must get the call right. It was a fairly easy call for an experienced umpire in a huge moment. Joyce blew the call. When it counted most, Joyce did not come through. Instead, he failed badly. He must be fired.
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
New Stipulations
My fellow citizens, life is the best teacher. This weekend was extremely instructive for me. As your beloved leader, I always strive to discover new ways to improve your lives. Like a repeated bolt of lightning, I was struck several times by ways to improve our lives.
Today's decrees
After experiencing two different episodes this weekend where individuals shut down roads to protect birds, I realized that should not be the responsibility of our heroic denizens. Thus, I hereby decree that animals are banned from the road. The road is a place where animals go to die and where fenders are dented. No more. To any animal reading this, stay off the road!
Ever go to a restaurant and somebody is telling rather boring stories with a rather loud voice (and the next day, they find that same person mysteriously dead)? I hereby decree that the volume level with which you tell a story at a restaurant must herein correspond to how interesting the story is.
The nation's silly band industry is hereby nationalized. Congratulations public, you now own your own industry! Don't fuck it up.
Today's decrees
After experiencing two different episodes this weekend where individuals shut down roads to protect birds, I realized that should not be the responsibility of our heroic denizens. Thus, I hereby decree that animals are banned from the road. The road is a place where animals go to die and where fenders are dented. No more. To any animal reading this, stay off the road!
Ever go to a restaurant and somebody is telling rather boring stories with a rather loud voice (and the next day, they find that same person mysteriously dead)? I hereby decree that the volume level with which you tell a story at a restaurant must herein correspond to how interesting the story is.
The nation's silly band industry is hereby nationalized. Congratulations public, you now own your own industry! Don't fuck it up.
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