It's a Sad Day to be a Pistons Fan

This column was written by guest columnist Matt Hawkins, formerly of The Bowling Green News

It’s a sad day to be a Pistons fan right now. Pistons President Joe Dumars has some difficult changes to make this off season but the easiest one of all is to get rid of Rasheed Wallace. For all the good he has done for Detroit, I can’t stand to watch another one of his outbursts or costly mistakes in a crucial playoff game for the Pistons.

Last night’s 89-81 loss to the Boston Celtics in game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals might mark the end of an era for these current Pistons, at least the end of Sheed in a Pistons uniform
After losing to the Spurs in the 2005 NBA Finals, the Pistons have lost three straight conference finals appearances and the majority of the blame should be placed on Rasheed Wallace.

Let’s flashback to the year 2005, Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Wallace left Robert Horry open for the game winning three pointer which gave the Spurs a 3-2 series lead. Even though the Pistons lost in game 7, it was this play that cost them the title.

Then there was last year against the Cavs in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Wallace fouled out with 7:44 left in the fourth quarter. Instead of heading to the bench, Sheed continued to argue with the ref, picking up two technical fouls in a major meltdown that cost them any chance at a comeback.

Of course this year was no different. Wallace got a costly technical foul in game 5 against the Celtics which gave him seven for the playoffs (one more and he would be suspended for the next game). He shot 2 for 12 from the field in game 6 which was the most important game of the year for the Pistons. His horrible shooting and turnovers down the stretch hurt the Pistons momentum as they lost a 10 point fourth quarter lead and were eliminated for the third straight year in the conference finals, all game 6 losses. I can’t believe he continues to get a pass as his defenders always say “it’s just Sheed being Sheed.”

I’m sorry but enough is enough. Pack your bags Sheed your time is up.

Doug Collins Gets Golden Opportunity

Talk about coming back for the right situation. Retired NBA Head Coach and TNT analyst Doug Collins is returning to the sidelines to coach the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls are coming off a 33-49 season where the team clearly did not live up to preseason expectations.

For Collins there will be the opportunity to work with a very talented and young lineup of players, have a hand in selecting the No. 1 overall pick, and coach in a major market.

The Windy City experience will be part two for his career as he coached a young Michael Jordan and led the Chicago Bulls to an Eastern Conference Finals in 1989 before being replaced by then-assistant Phil Jackson. Collins went on to Detroit in the 90's with minimal success before becoming an analyst.

While I don't look at Doug Collins as the type of elite head coach that a town like Chicago really deserves, he will be a stabilizing factor for the team and give the type of insight and leadership that will ensure a playoff berth a year from now.

The Chicago Bulls will be a step behind the Celtics and Pistons entering next season, but should be able to live up to the hype that the team failed so miserably to achieve this year. Look for Michael Beasley to join the team in the off season as the No. 1 overall pick and further solidify the deep and talented Bulls lineup.

Celtics Win Pivotal Game 5

While the story of the night in Boston may be Kevin Garnett's 33 points and 7 rebounds or Kendrick Perkins stepping up again, this time to the tune of 18 points and 16 rebounds. Maybe it's Ray Allen finally finding his touch and going for 29 points on 9-15 shooting, including 5-6 on three pointers.

While each of those story lines make for a great reason why the Celtics won Game 5, it was Doc Rivers having his team prepared for the Pistons that really did it. The Pistons through a lot of punches and came back from a 17-point deficit late in the game but Rivers' Celtics held it together, including playing things the right way in the final two minutes. The Celtics used the clock well, got the ball in the hands of their best free throw shooter, Ray Allen. Not only that, but Boston and fouled Detroit to avoid a "Mr. Big Shot" moment in those closing seconds.

While fouling with the lead in the closing seconds is an incredibly basic strategy, practiced from AAU to the NBA, it is incredibly underutilized. I have to commend Rivers for having his team prepared and making all the right decisions during crunch time. I'm not ready to give the man the coach of the year award Byron Scott deservedly won; afterall, the Celtics almost lost to the Hawks and Cavs, but Boston really looked solid Wednesday night against Detroit.

Game 5 is the pivitol game of any 2-2 series and Boston is definitely in command, needing only one win to advance to face the Lakers, err, play in the NBA Finals.

John Calipari is the only person that can't understand the intelligence of fouling with the lead in an important game.

Pistons Even Things Up

The Detroit Pistons have tied things up with the Boston Celtics again and will be sending the series back to Bean Town. Detroit took control of the game early, putting together a 14-point lead in the first half. The Pistons led throughout and never gave up the lead. Boston made it interesting at 78-73 but could never get it down to a single possession in the closing minutes, eventually falling to the Pistons 94-75.

While Detroit had the air of control the entire night, the team saved its best basketball for the closing minutes. The Pistons were poised and hit their free throws down the stretch while Ray Allen clanked a couple hard off the iron. Most importantly of all, Chauncey Billups stepped into the action tonight. While Billups struggled from the field with 3 for 12 shooting and only 10 points, he did hit a clutch three down the stretch and looked much more comfortable on his sore hamstring.

The big contributor in tonight's matchup was Antonio McDyess. For the many Pistons fans that miss Ben Wallace's interior presence (and trust me, Chicago and Cleveland would be happy to give him back, especially at his salary) Antonio McDyess has filled the void very nicely. 'Dyess has stepped into the position as another role player on the team full of veterans and is really looking good, sticking close to his regular season numbers even against tougher players that have demanded more from him on the defensive end.

Now with the series headed back to Boston at 2-2 it's now a best of three with two games at home for the Celtics. Boston is still an impressive 9-1 at home but Detroit did etch that 1 into the otherwise perfect record at home and does not fear playing in the Garden. In Game 5 expect a close contest and expect to see the Pistons come out on top, 93-89.

Memo to Joakim Noah: You are not in college any more.

Good thinking. Smoking weed has done great things for so many other professional athletes' careers

While compiling this article, I was going to list the athletes who have been arrested for marijuana possession in the past year but I had hand cramps before I was done with the Cincinnati Bengals lineup. Welcome to the club Joakim. Ricky Williams wants to know if he can braid your hair.

Despite being "the man" in Gainsville during his college career at the University of Florida and winning the 2006 NCAA Championship, Joakim Noah is taking his college fame a bit too far.

The bushy-haired rookie of the Chicago Bulls was busted early Sunday morning when he was stopped in Gainsville for drinking in public. When he was searched by police they discovered a bag of marijuana in his pocket.

While it may have been cool to hang around Gainsville as a student, you have to know when to walk away. Noah was certainly a popular figure on campus; he's identifiable, famous and a big personality. There's even the status of smoking in college and being involved in parties, but at some point that pressure has to go away and be replaced by the maturity of someone playing professional sports.

While Joakim Noah is hardly a star for the Chicago Bulls, he was a solid contributor as a rookie and showed signs of being a strong rebounding and scoring boost, along with his emotional spark he gives when in the lineup. According to ESPN.com's article, the Bulls' only comment was one from General Manager John Paxton who expressed his disappointment.

Just disappointment? Really? Are the Bulls really going to call it quits with disappointment? After an under performing season where the team entered the season as one of the Eastern Conference favorites, Chicago failed to make the playoffs despite being there a year ago and looking improved from '06-'07. This is a chance to make a statement as a franchise. Two years from now Chicago does not want to be in the same spot as the New York Knicks are right now, with troubled players and more personality than teamwork.

While there is not always a direct correlation between off the court issues and a team's success, there certainly isn't evidence to show it benefits a franchise. Chicago should come down hard on Joakim Noah. As for Noah, he needs to figure out if he still wants to be the big man in Gainsville or make a name for himself in the NBA.

Paterno Says it All

As someone who has grown up in Big Ten country, constantly cheering against Penn State, I can't help but respect Joe Paterno right now. Joe Paterno said in an interview that the reasons given by the college football commissioners are 'bogus' and stated that he can't foresee a playoff in the near future.

My favorite quote from the interview expressed Paterno's frustration and also his timeless stance as a coach at Penn State. "Paterno, who is entering his 43rd season as Penn State's head coach said, 'I'm only going to be a head coach another 10 or 15 years, and I don't think it will happen by then.'" I think it's sad that Joe Paterno is 81-years old and even he thinks the rest of college football is too old fashioned to see what would be best for the sport in form of a playoff.

I'm embarrassed to say that as a Big Ten fan the conference does not support the playoff, and that only the ACC and SEC were in favor of continued discussion regarding the proposed playoff system.

If I hear the argument of missing too much class time again, I think I'll be sick. How many students are in class from December 18 & January 7? None. Student athletes? None. Having a game the week of Christmas and the BCS Championship the week of New Years makes perfect sense, and encourages teams to play a tougher schedule as having one or two losses won't necessarily prevent an appearance in the championship.

For people who argue that a playoff would water down the regular season have to consider that a playoff does not need to be 64 teams like the NCAA Tournament where the top half of every conference received a near automatic berth. Instead, a 4 or 8 team field allows the elite programs to participate while preserving the sanctity and excitement of each week of the regular season.

Later in the story picked up by the Associated Press Paterno commented on his decision to not participate in the Coaches' Poll due to being required to vote for the BCS Champion in the final poll, something Paterno disagreed with in 2004 when undefeated Auburn was left out of the title game but won its bowl.

Anyone else hoping Joe Paterno sticks it out to 100 years old and 500 career wins?

"And down goes Fraizer"

The Boston Celtics were perfect for the first two rounds at home. 8-0. In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals the Celtics moved that mark to 9-0 and asserted their home dominance over the Pistons. In Game 2, it was a different story.

The Detroit Pistons came out and looked prepared to play and made the adjustments needed to contain Kevin Garnett. Most importantly, the Pistons were able to quiet the crowd when the Celtics made their push. Every time Boston hit a couple big shots, Detroit was poised with a 3-pointer from the quarter or a slashing layup, something the San Antonio Spurs couldn't do last night in Los Angeles.

While I didn't appreciate the "Rodney Stucky is like Dwayne Wade" comment coming from the sidelines, the kid did look good coming off the bench with 13 points and a needed spark. Rasheed Wallace looked much more comfortable and finally hit a 3-pointer.

Detroit looked like a team with desire, instead of a lethargic former champion as they did in the first game of the series. The energy level in The Palace is going to be huge this weekend and Boston will have the 0-6 road record staring them square in the face until the ball tips for Game 3.

Lakes Pull out Game 1

Watching the Spurs/Lakers game tonight it felt like watching the big brother play against his little brother. The Spurs showed their dominance and looked to squash the Lakers early, leading 65-45 at one point. However, the Lakers proved they wouldn't be bullied around by turning things around and showing they can hang with the big kids now.

While Tim Duncan's stat line of 30 points & 18 rebounds looks sensational, almost all of his production came in the first 2 1/2 quarters of the game. As the game progressed, Kobe Bryant looked like the MVP (something that's hard for me to admit) and completely took the game over. During a 14-0 run, Kobe had his hands in every play. When Bryant wasn't hitting the shot, he was drawing the extra defender and finding his open teammate. Thankfully for Bryant, Gasol and Odom both stepped up and hit the shots they needed, and Bruce Bowen was off the court.

Watching the last two minutes of tonight's game, it was very clear that the referees had no control over what was happening on the court. I completely understand that an official doesn't want to make the call that ruins the game for one team and I'm as big a fan of the "let them play" mentality as anyone else, but let's also not forget about consistency. There were loose balls where the scene resembled a mosh pit and not a professional basketball game. The horrible call with 1:07 left to give the Lakers possession and the awful makeup call (or lack of call) when Ginobili clearly fouled Gasol was amateur.

The Spurs came into Game 1 tired from a long series and a ridiculous travel schedule, but they played the Lakers tough. A weaker team with a lesser coach would let that be defeating, to lose such a big lead, but Gregg Popovich will use it as a tool to improve for Game 2. Despite the loss, I'm still behind my pick of the Spurs in 6.

Anyone else happy to see some fire coming from Tim Duncan?

Cowboys Break Bank

Earlier in the off season the Oakland Raiders proved to be the most financial irresponsible in blowing cash on Javon Walker ($55 million), Tommy Kelly ($50+ million), and Gibril Wilson ($39 million). While I look at Walker as a second tier but solid receiver, Kelly as a decent tackle and Wilson as a serviceable - yet not dominant - safety, the team clearly overpaid. Well move over Oakland, Dallas is raising the bar!

Marion Barber is a great running back. From his days in Minnesota, it was clear he had the type of power that would make him a treat to watch in the NFL. Barber has been a work horse for Dallas since joining the team, and has been a touchdown machine for fantasy players and Tony Romo alike. While Barber certainly runs as hard as any player this side of Maurice Jones-Drew, he likely will never live up to the 7-year, $45 million contract he just inked. To put it into perspective, that money catapults Barber into the same paygrade as LaDainian Tomlinson and Larry Johnson. The deal also included a guaranteed $16 million.

While I'm in favor of looking at Barber as a better than average running back, but neither in college nor in the NFL has he ever carried the full load for his team, making me curious why he is getting paid as an elite back. Also, Dallas just drafted Felix Jones from Arkansas, who averaged 7.6 yards per carry in his collegiate career. If Dallas wants Barber to be an elite back, then it's curious for them to spend first round money on a complimentary RB.

To make sure the spending wasn't limited to the offense, Jerry Jones wrapped up Terence Newman to a 6-year, $50.2 million deal, with $22.5 million in guarantees.

Newman and Barber are both strong contributors to the Dallas Cowboys and warranted extensions, but the amount of money being thrown around by the Cowboys is not indicative of one that will be financially free in the future to make any necessary moves. Jerry Jones is putting all of his eggs in the Tony Romo basket, let's hope for him that Jessica stays away and Dallas can get it done in 2008.

Bulls get No. 1 Pick

There are few things that more consistently keep sports insomniacs up late at night than a good mock draft. For fantasy fans you can now log on to CBS Sportsline and jump into an NFL mock draft or join up a late start fantasy baseball league. A few weeks ago, NFL analysts and casual fans alike spent hours with the lights down in front of a monitor, studying their team's strengths and weaknesses and evaluating it against the draft class.

Now NBA followers get their chance to break down the class with the lottery in place. Below are the lottery selections.

1. Chicago Bulls
2. Miami Heat
3. Minnesota Timberwolves
4. Seattle/New Orleans SuperSonics
5. Memphis Grizzlies
6. New York Knicks
7. Los Angeles Clippers
8. Milwaukee Bucks
9. Charlotte Bobcats
10. New Jersey Nets
11. Indiana Pacers
12. Sacramento Kings
13. Portland Trailblazers
14. Golden State Warriors

Well Chicago, which is going to be? Do you go Michael Beasley, the dominant big man from Kansas State, or Memphis star Derrick Rose who stepped up big in the tournament. As I explained during the NCAA Tournament, I really didn't get caught up in the super hype of Derrick Rose, and while he is clearly one of the top 10-15 college players of the year, I still look at O.J. Mayo, Eric Gordon and D.J. Augustin as better players, among others (see previous article).

With the draft a ways away, the mock drafts are beginning, and questions on who the top player of 2008 will be is going to be debated for weeks. Not trying to ruin the suspense for everyone, but Beasley is the best pick for Chicago and the best player in the class.

For some good reading, check out Chad Ford's mock draft, one of the ten best columnists in the country.

8-0, 0-6. Celtics to face Pistons

Paul Pierce looked good on Sunday. As someone who has given Pierce a lot of grief for taking difficult shots instead of looking toward teammates with more open looks, I must say he was dominant in Game 7 against the Cavs. The only person on the court was LeBron James who demonstrated he can almost carry a team on his back as he was a missed layup near the end of the 4th quarter away from getting Cleveland within one possession and a potential upset.

On 13-23 shooting and 11-12 from the line, Pierce had the hot hand all night. However, his biggest play was the dive for the loose ball coming off the jump ball that Cleveland should have controlled. Pierce showed his emotion and proved he can still play with the best in the league and while he has taken a back seat to Garnett and Ray Allen to a certain extent, he looked like the star of Boston for 48 minutes.

While Pierce surprised me on Sunday, I wasn't shocked to see the Celtics beat out the Cavaliers to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. After all, Boston has been undefeated at home all postseason. The problem is, they are still winless on the road. While I know Boston has home court advantage through the playoffs, I'm not foolish enough to think they'll go 16-0 en route to an NBA Title. Detroit proved during the regular season that they can hang with Boston and will almost certainly win a game in Boston.

The Detroit Pistons are going to create problems for the Celtics. The Pistons are a hard nose team that has played in the last five Eastern Finals and has proven they can win on the road. Boston, has not. KG has never played in a Conference Finals. Paul Pierce stepped up big tonight, so I'll give him an exemption from any comparisons. Ray Allen already disappeared from the face of the earth once the playoffs hit, so again, I'll pass on saying much there.

While I'm far from a Pistons fan, they have been my favorite from the start of the season to come out of the East and Boston's inability to play on the road hasn't changed that prediction. Look out Boston, Detroit is coming to town!

I'm a Believer

I can remember watching Kerry Wood in 1998 when he threw his 20-strikeout gem. Years later he was being looked at as a total bust. Now, Wood is making a revival in the bullpen as the Cubs closer, making his 9th save of the season earlier today.

Alfonso Soriano has spent his career going from an All-Star second baseman with the biggest franchise in professional sports to an outfielder for the Rangers and Nationals. Now Soriano is a Cubbie and despite receiving more boos than Tony Romo during the 7th inning stretch, Soriano has risen to his old form and is really producing out of the lead off position again.

As a life long fan of the lovable losers it's tough to get too high on the team that lets me down season after season. That said, I'm tempted to believe at this point. Soriano is getting on base and hitting for power, Derek Lee is playing well and Fukudome looks like just the piece the team was missing.

With all of the surprises for this season, I have to give the most credit to the pitching as Ryan Dempster is 5-1 with a 2.35 ERA and Kerry Wood looks rejuvenated.

Behind solid pitching and timely hitting, the Cubs are 10 games over .500 at 26-16 and have the lead in the NL Central. I know this happens every year, but I'm officially excited about the Cubs' chances in the playoffs.

I used to think I'd give up hope at some point, but considering it's been 100 years since the last championship and I still enter every season like the ugly kid going stag at prom, hoping that this just might be my chance, I hold on to the long shot, the underdog. Go Cubs!

Put Spygate to Rest

Matt Walsh is the Paris Hilton of sports. We sit around and talk about tapes that at first only a few had seen and are now leaking all over the internet, he really has no talent or ambition and is makes the news for simply showing up for appointments with legitimate members of society.

I struggle to understand why it is that I need seven different NFL experts to break down the impact of Spygate and how it has been overblown for the past several months. Since the story broke it sounded like the Patriots were getting the firm slap on the wrist for something that likely many teams are guilty of and they had been warned about before. Certainly the allegation of taping the Rams' walk through was more severe, but overall we knew everything we know now only hours into the initial reports.

At the start of SportsCenter I heard that Spygate can be put to rest, then later I heard John Clayton and other ESPN analysts breaking down what will happen next. Do we really need a next!? The Patriots were guilty, they admitted guilt. The paper overreacted, they posted an apology. I changed the channel, ESPN News was running the same story.

One of the questions posted to a sports talk show host was if the NFL would recover from the Spygate scandal. I'm sorry as maybe I'm incredibly under reacting to the ongoings of illegal taping of defensive signals (something that has happened in baseball for decades), but Spygate just was not a major story after the first 48 hours. Very few fans outside of Boston continued to track the progress of this story aside from the 5 minute caveat on ESPN or Fox Sports any time mention of pro football was made.

After months of this annoying, non-developing story, let's please put this to rest. I'm about as interested in hearing more about Spygate as I was hearing about the NHL Lockout. It was simply a non-issue that 98% of sports fans did not care about. Let's move on.


Has anyone else wondered what John Clayton would look like with Mel Kiper Jr.'s hair?

Greg Maddux, the Best of an ERA

After four failed attempts, Greg Maddux collected his 350th career victory over the weekend against the Colorado Rockies. Maddux improved to 3-3 on the season with a 3.60 ERA. To collect win 350 it was vintage Maddux as he allowed 3 hits in 6 innings on only 68 pitches. Maddux held the Rockies without an earned run, and as he has so often in his career, did not allow a walk.

My interest in baseball grew in the early 90s, in part from watching Greg Maddux throw ridiculously efficient games for the Cubs and Braves. When Maddux was on the mound I found myself turning the channel to another game or Indiana Jones replaying on TNT for the 80th time while his team was up to bat, but always flipped back for every pitch. Maddux has spent his entire career as a student to the game and while he has never had dominant pitches, he has had dominant command and strategy.

For his career Maddux has been the barometer for pitching efficiency. With a career average of 1.8 walks per 9 and a career ERA just over 3, all in an era when players like Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire lit up the record books with juice-inflated numbers.

While at 42 years old Maddux no longer has the endurance to carry him into the late innings on a regular basis, the Mad Dog has compiled 35 career shutouts and 109 career complete games. That goes with 17 Golden Gloves and 4 Cy Young Awards. While on paper Roger Clemens put together a more dominant career, he will be remembered as the more skilled pitcher and Maddux will be the great pitcher. Clemens will be the cheater and Maddux will be the genius. Clemens' numbers will be recounted as being fueled by steroids, while Maddux's memory will be that of the most strategic pitcher in history.

While he will never admit to it, Greg Maddux is the greatest pitcher since Bob Gibson and Warren Spahn and will go down as one of the ten best pitchers in MLB history. Enjoy it while you can because Greg has all of his milestones and has his ring, he won't be around much longer.

What happens when LeBron gets hot?

I don't know if I should be surprised by the Celtics 0-5 road record in the playoffs with how this team is playing. Boston is playing sloppy, the team can't shoot outside of Massachusetts, and despite a 31-10 road record in the regular season, Boston can't do anything right in the post season.

While Boston is struggling, Cleveland isn't exactly shooting the lights out. LeBron exited game 4 with the worst playoff shooting percentage of his career for a series at 26% on 20-78 shooting. While LeBron still made his presence felt with 13 assists and a hard fought 21 points, he failed to get himself going or hit his regular season form.

The series will return to Boston Wednesday where the Celtics hope to protect their undefeated home playoff record, but I can't help but worry for the Boston Three Party and company as they are incredibly vulnerable. LeBron James is far too talented to struggle for the entire series. With the physical nature of game 4 and his ability to make the open three and a massive statement dunk over Kevin Garnett in the fourth quarter, LeBron looks ready to awake from his shooting slumber.

Game 5 is going to go to the Cavaliers unless Ray Allen scores 20 points, something he has failed to do in ANY of the four games against Cleveland.

Look out KG, you may be the defensive player of the year, but LeBron posterized you tonight and is ready to do it on your home court in game 5.

Sergio Wins Player's Championship

Sergio Garcia bested the field at the TPC Sawgrass to win the Players Championship, widely considered to be golf's fifth major championship. Below is part of the story posted by ESPN.com that detailed Garcia's win after speculation he could not win 'the big one'.

"All that changed in the final hour of The Players Championship thanks to two clutch putts, a wedge that found safety on an island and a playoff victory that Garcia desperately needed."

While any respect I had for Sergio Garcia was lost during his Chiquita Banana-wearing appearance last year on the PGA Tour, he does have a lot of talent. However, as ESPN stated Garcia has never risen when the pressure was on, against the best players in the world, and grabbed victory on the big stage. According to ESPN and golf analysts, Sergio has finally broken through.

Since none of the more esteemed writers in the sports community will say it, I will. The win today by Sergio Garcia is not a career defining victory. Garcia did have a solid comeback with some great putts and a victory on the first playoff hole. Garcia did not go toe-to-toe with Woods, Mickelson and Singh. Instead he beat out Paul Goydos who self-destructed with a water ball on the famous 17th hole in the playoff to go with bogeys on 14, 15 and 18 to close out his final round.

While I respect every player on the PGA tour as any one of them could work me up and down the links and I consider myself to be a strong competitor, but Goydos is ranked #140 in the world and hits the ball shorter than most club pros at only 265 yards. Garcia did not win the Players Championship any more than Kansas won the National Championship, instead it was given to him as Goydos refused to win with his sloppy play into the club house.

Maybe I'm just being hard on Garcia, but until he can figure out his putter he will not be a top competitor in the PGA. Somewhere Tiger Woods is nursing his knee with his baby on one side and his super model wife on the other, licking his chops at the thought of annihilating Sergio Garcia at the US Open.

Paul Can't Do it All, Spurs Win Again

Chris Paul would have gotten my vote for NBA MVP. As a disservice to everyone around the world, I do not receive an MVP vote however and Kobe Bryant was allowed to pull it from Paul's grasp. That said, he is not a team unto himself as was proven tonight in the matchup against the San Antonio Spurs.

In the contest, Paul scored 23 points on 10-16 shooting while also leading the team in rebounding (6), assists (5) and steals (3). In games 1 and 2 Paul was able to rely on David West and Tyson Chandler to step up and help him keep the tempo up and drop in buckets for the New Orleans Hornets. Instead Paul scores 23 points compared to 25 scored by the other 4 starters for the Hornets.

David West struggled with 4-15 shooting while Chandler did not attempt a field goal and Peja Stojakovic who is often counted on to hit the open shot, was just 3-9.

On the other side of the ball, Tim Duncan stepped up just as I had hoped after his quiet start to the series. Duncan led the Spurs in scoring with 22 points on 10-13 shooting and also grabbed 15 rebounds. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili still did their part with 21 and 15 points respectively, but it was Duncan who led the charge, getting his points while passing out of double teams quickly and effectively.

The most impressive thing in game 4 was that the Spurs put away the Hornets early. In game 3 the Hornets were allowed to linger longer than they should have, and had the opportunity to capture momentum and win the game late. After the first quarter the Spurs turned up the intensity, led by 8 points to start the second quarter, and never let New Orleans get back into things.

Spurs return to Championship form

I'm not sure which is the bigger story from tonight's matchup between San Antonio and New Orleans in the Western Conference Semifinal. First is the Spurs resurgence in game 3. Tim Duncan and company looked like they were pressing in the first half and had their backs against the wall. In the second half it was a different story as they came out like caged animals and really took it to New Orleans as they built up their lead, capped by Bruce Bowen's 3-pointer from the corner leading to a Hornets time out.

As I watched the second half of tonight's game I saw San Antonio convince itself it was still the reigning champs and the team regained its typical calm induced by the best coach in basketball, Gregg Popovich. Where things stand for the Spurs right now I still feel like they're reeling a bit and I am still struggling to see them move on to face Los Angeles in the Conference Finals.

The reason for that feeling, Chris Paul (I'm not a fan of the CP3 abbreviation, so you will never read it on the site aside from this reference. Nicknames should be inspiring or intimidating like "The Big Hurt" or "Air Jordan." Even "Lefty" or "Hefty" for Phil Mickelson is better than Paul's handle.)

Chris Paul looked absolutely incredible at times tonight. There were points in the game where Paul looked as dominant as any player has looked this playoffs, short of Duncan's game 1 performance against Phoenix. David West was solid in the first half and disappeared as the game wore on, and some miscues on offense as the Spurs pulled away ultimately led to the defeat. However, Paul and company are dangerous and San Antonio is living on the 3-ball right now. As Paul continues to drive the lane and create, his impact can really only be minimized by strong shooting from the Spurs and Tony Parker creating plays.

Tim Duncan looked better tonight than in the first two games of the series. However, there still isn't a fire in his eyes like there was against Phoenix, and I'm simply not buying the illness holding on this long. Duncan even said before tonight's game that he was feeling 100% better, but to me he still looked like he had no emotion. I know Duncan's lack of emotion is as expected as Joey Chestnut or Takeru Kobayashi's lack of appetite on July 5, but in Phoenix he was the leader of his team, and so far against New Orleans he has been a role playing with little fire.

For the Spurs to win the series, even with some momentum from tonight's win, they're going to have to keep hitting big threes. Right now New Orleans is giving them the open looks as they double up Duncan, but quicker rotations in game 4 could be all the Hornets need to slow the Spurs offense. The Spurs remind me of this year's Duke Blue Devils team where eventually the threes won't go in and the team will crumble. Maybe Ginobili, Parker and Finley will keep connecting, but without a strong interior presence, they don't have the luxury of many off nights.

Watching Chris Paul and Tony Parker go toe-to-toe tonight (Paul 35 pts, 9 assists; Parker 31 pts, 11 assists) was truly exciting to watch and gave me renewed hope in the NBA and reminded me how special this year's playoffs are to watch.

Even Kobe Bryant can't deny that Chris Paul looked like the MVP tonight

Don't want Bonds? Must be collusion

I can't believe it, MLB owners don't want to sign Barry Bonds. Afterall, Bonds is only the single biggest lockerroom distraction in recent baseball history and has more people writing him hate mail than cheering him in the stands.

The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) has opened an investigation to determine if owners are in collusion as Barry Bonds, Kenny Lofton and other free agents are going unsigned.

Barry Bonds' agent Jeff Borris indicated that his client is yet to receive an offer from a team since becoming a free agent at the end of the 2007 season. I do enjoy that this allegation implies teams should have no choice but to make Bonds an offer. Barroid has a black cloud over his head and would certainly bring drama to any team that signed him. Bonds may be an incredible hitter into his 40s, but teams are by no means obligated to sign him.

While Bonds is an enormous distraction and realistically would be a bad addition to almost any team, Kenny Lofton may have a case. While Lofton has become more of a defensive liability than a highlight show primed for a SportsCenter Top 10 at any moment, he hit .300 or better in 2 of the last 3 seasons and still stole 23 bases in 2007. Lofton would be a strong addition to most teams, especially those looking for some veteran leadership and a steady leadoff hitter.

Maybe the Mariners should sign Barry Bonds as DH, but I don't know if they have enough free money to pay for his acne medication and increasingly larger hats and shoes each week.

Benson maced for drunken boating

Careful Cedric, he winked at you. Time to fall over and blame the O-Line!

Cedric Benson of the Chicago Bears was arrested for BOATING While Intoxicated as a result of a routine safety check. During the inspection, it became clear that Benson was intoxicated and resisted arrest, leading to him being maced in the face.

According to reports published by ESPN, Benson took field sobriety tests on the boat and the officer wanted to go to land for further testing. At that point, Benson declined to go ashore and was maced.

My favorite part of this entire story is Benson's response released today.

"I'm thinking, I passed all the tests, did everything right. Then the officer told me we needed to go to land to take more tests. I politely asked him why we needed to go to land to take more tests when I took every test. Then he sprayed me with mace, on his boat.
"I'm not handcuffed. I'm not under arrest. I'm not threatening him. I'm not pushing him. I'm not touching him. And he sprays me right in my eye."

Maybe I'm just skeptical, but for some reason I doubt a law enforcement officer would spray Benson in the face in front of a large group of people just for a good time. While Benson may crumble to 190 pound free safeties in the open field, he still isn't a small guy. Also, officers are intelligent enough to follow proper procedure in any situation involving many witnesses, intoxicated or otherwise.


Any bets on if Cedric played the "Do you know who I am?" card? Maybe the officer knew exactly who Cedric Benson is, the flop 4th draft pick that pushed out Thomas Jones and helped to upset the Bears' lockerroom.

Will the real Boston Celtics please stand up?

Today I watched one of the most dominating performances I've ever witnessed at the professional level as the Boston Celtics dismantled the Atlanta Hawks. I chatted with friends as I watched the team shut down the Hawks offense to the tune of a double digit lead before the first quarter ended By half time the lead was over 20, and early in the 3rd quarter it was 30. At 79-41 late in the 3rd quarter I expected to see the Celtics pulling back and easing in for the victory. Instead I saw Kevin Garnett skidding across the ground diving for a loose ball, followed by Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo risking injury to do the same.

After my blog a couple nights ago challenging Boston to step it up (found here) I expected Boston to win game 7. Boston has been dominant all season at home and Atlanta is terrible on the road. Also, despite inconsistency in the series, Boston had more experience and talent than Atlanta and had won the previous three home games in the series.

On a quick side note, did anyone catch the note about Boston being 14-2 all time in game 7 situations? Does anyone really think that means anything. Considering none of the current players were on the last team to participate in a game 7, I'm going to go on a limb and say that really doesn't mean anything. It was like during the NCAA tournament when Digger kept pulling out Kansas' record in previous tournament games when they had none of the same players and a different coach. Tradition builds a fan base, it doesn't win championships.

But I digress...

With Cleveland on the horizon it is tough to know which Celtics team will show up. The one that nearly lost to an Atlanta team that finished the season with a losing record, or the one that looked so dominant on defense it took nearly 40 minutes for Atlanta to reach 50 points.

Ultimately Boston can go through the playoffs and win the title without winning a road game, but the chances of going undefeated at the Garden against the likes of Cleveland, Detroit and the Western Conference Champion are very unlikely. Boston will have to win on the road, and the team will have to show it can play in any setting.

One concerning sight from the game today was Paul Pierce. Pierce was in his old refuse-to-pass mode and took several unorthodox shots with time running out on the shot clock. Pierce was particularly bad when KG & Ray Allen were out of the game. Hopefully for Boston's sake Pierce remembers he has two teammates with more talent than himself and doesn't revert to the Antoine Walker era.

The series with Cleveland should be interesting, especially if LeBron James and company steal game one in Boston.

Anyone know Kevin Garnett's field goal percentage during playoff appearances with a full moon? Ask the guys at ESPN who want to quantify everything into a cool statistic with no relevancy.

Kentucky Derby Parties? Seriously?

When August comes I almost always try to make my way to a college campus and catch a good tailgate party. Every year for the Super Bowl I make sure I have a ridiculous spread of food, beer and pounds of salty snacks. There is something about the manliness of football that must be enjoyed by other people as you gorge to excess. With that in mind, I couldn't help but be a little disturbed when I heard people calling in national sports talk shows all week to talk about their Kentucky Derby plans.

The only thing more disturbing than the thought of Kentucky Derby parties was listening to the talk show hosts trying to sell the event as an elite sporting event. Let me tell you something; I was offended a couple years ago when Pardon the Interruption tried including the X-Games as a major sporting event. To hear the Kentucky Derby in the mix ranks up there with the Australian Open for tennis or the MLS finals. The only people who really get into the Kentucky Derby are social elites who need a little more time on camera.

The average American really has no interest in the Kentucky Derby aside from the betting odds in hopes of making it on a 20-1 pony for $50. This year there was no bigger disappointment when Big Brown (3-1) won the Derby and made all the long shot gamblers pissed off and broke. Only people who play it safe and back their bet with the favorite really made out today and even those people would rather have seen Z Fortune or another horse charge to the finish.

I'm really not against horse racing, but what I am against is the love affair it gets with some heavy hitters in the media for the few days out of the year when they try to convince us that the sport is a big deal the other 352 days when legs of the triple crown are not being run.

If you're planning your next sports party, don't include the wine tasting, you'll just turn off those of us who are real sporting fans.

MLB Power Rankings - Top 10

I caught the ESPN Power Rankings for Major League Baseball again this week (found here) and also those from a few other sites, and regrettably none of them can seem to figure things out. Below is the only legitimate list you'll find on the internet.

1. Arizona Diamondbacks - Arizona is led by its pitching with a combined 15-1 record among its top three pitchers (Webb, Haren & Owings). LA is finally picking things up and they may be the only team capable of preventing Arizona from getting a double-digit lead in the NL West before the All-Star break.

2. Los Angeles Angels - The Angels are getting it done and have had success from all areas of the bullpen. Torii Hunter is looking like one of the best offseason acquisitions at this point and Vladimir Guerrero hasn't even hinted at a hot streak yet. If this team stays healthy all season, they'll be the dark horse for the pennant.

3. Chicago Cubs - Let's face it, Chicago is ready for this season. There is a certain swagger to this year's Cubs and maybe the pressure after 100 years of failing isn't that high anymore. Derrek Lee is looking like an MVP and Kosuke Fukudome makes Ichiro look like "that other Japanese player" with a smooth .348 batting average. Right now the Cubs rank first in the NL in batting average and runs scored, all while Alfonso Soriano has been out or ineffective. Carlos Zambrano is also looking flat out mean at this point, and moving Ryan Dempster to the starting rotation may be the smartest move this club has made since acquiring Aramis Ramierez.

4. St. Louis Cardinals - For everything that Chicago is doing right, St. Louis is right there with them and currently leading the division. While the red birds are leading the Cubbies to this point, the team hasn't had the same level of consistency and run potential each night that Chicago possesses. Albert Puljos is stroking the ball like always and St. Louis is going to be neck and neck with Chicago all season.

5. Philadelphia Phillies - Yes I'm aware that Philly is only 17-14 but is there anyone that wants to face Philadelphia right now? The team leads the NL East on the strength of Chase Utley's bat (.369, 13 HR, 26 RBI) and the middle of the lineup is going to cause problems all season. With just a little more consistency out of the starting pitching, Philadelphia just may hold its division lead and keep New York and Atlanta at bay.

6. Oakland Athletics - The A's have some of that "The Little Engine that Could" mentality. It seems like every year they lose talented free agents and drop money off the roster, only to contend the following year. They're like the Minnesota Twins of NoCal. I really like the addition of Frank Thomas particularly due to his success with the team in 2006 you can't deny a 3.26 ERA that leads the American League. The Angels will have Oakland breathing down their necks all season.

7. Los Angeles Dodgers - I don't know what happened during the first couple weeks of the season, but somehow Joe Torre sorted things out, as he always does, and got this team moving in the right direction. Now at 17-13 Los Angeles is moving things in the right direction and seem unstoppable during the past week. I may have ranked the Dodgers a rung or two higher, but Andruw Jones has been too horrendous (.163, 1 HR, 4 RBI) for me to consider this to be an elite team. Rafael Furcal is really looking strong to this point, however.

8. Boston Red Sox - While Boston isn't exactly blowing people away, the team looks like the Yankees of the late 1990s. Everyone knows they can flip the switch at any time and rattle off 10 of 12 and they're going to be in contention when the post season rolls around. All it's going to take for this team to explode will be one throw-down with the Yankees. I would not want to be the pitcher responsible for throwing at Manny Ramierez and waking this sleeping giant.

9. Detroit Tigers - After an anemic start on offense Detroit has recently found something of a groove. The bats are warming up and balls are flying out of Comerica Park faster than F150s roll off the assembly line. The return of Curtis Granderson has helped to spark the offense, and Placido Polanco is finding his bat. Miguel Cabrera looks very comfortable not being the guy every night and Ordonez isn't far off his form from a year ago. If Detroit's starting pitching figures things out you'll want to take cover.

10. New York Mets - The Mets are underachieving to this point at only 15-13 but Johan Santana looks like he's made the transition from the AL to the NL without much difficulty (3-2, 3.12 ERA) and the bats will be there as the season wears on. On another positive note, Billy Wagner is still yet to give up a run and has 6 saves on the season.

I don't know if the Power Rankings will become a regular part of the Sportsomniac, but with so little on TV tonight and all the news being about the Kentucky Derby, I had to find something to keep me busy all night.

Can someone please inform the San Diego Padres and New York Yankees that they need to pick things up? If the Spurs vs Hornets game wasn't on tonight they would have ended up in the Bottom 10 list.

Kobe wins MVP

Something feels wrong about Kobe Bryant winning the MVP award this year. In year's past he has been more dominant, as recently as a season ago. He has also had better numbers, like in 2002-03 when he averaged 30 ppg or 05-06 when he eclipsed 35 ppg.

For this season, Kobe hasn't been the most dominant player, that distinction is left for Chris Paul. He also hasn't put up the biggest numbers, that honor goes to LeBron James (30 ppg, 7.9 rebounds, 7.2 assists). LeBron has risen to be the best driver of the basketball and is doing it as the only real scoring option in Cleveland. Without James, I doubt Delonte West and Ben Wallace would rise to the challenge and carry Cleveland to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Kobe wasn't even the player to spark the most improvement on his team, also going to another MVP contender in Kevin Garnett. Garnett led the Celtics from 24-58 to 66-16, an improvement of 42 games! Garnett also provided the spark on defense Boston needed while letting his more selfish teammates shoot more on offense. Garnett's scoring decreased, but he was more efficient with the ball as he improved his fieldgoal percentage 13% from a year ago, increasing to .539. Meanwhile, the Lakers never really got better until the team acquired Pau Gasol from Memphis. Without Gasol, Kobe was trying to keep the Lakers together as a playoff contender.

Thankfully two weeks from now Los Angeles will be out of the playoffs and this will all be forgotten as Kobe watches someone else hoist the trophy he so desperately wants to win without Shaq.

Time to Step up "Boston Threeparty"

I enjoy ESPN commercials as much as anyone else, and the Boston Threeparty is fairly witty, but right now the guys are looking foolish in the face of an overachieving Atlanta Hawks team. Tonight it was all about Kevin Garnett who played a steady game, leading the team in points (22), rebounds (7), assists (6), blocks (3) and steals (2). Meanwhile for Boston it was a quiet night from Sam Cassell who has been the biggest indicator of the team's success so far in the playoffs. In Boston's three wins Cassell is averaging 11 ppg compared to 2 ppg in their three losses. Not surprising, it is typically the bench that makes the difference between a good team and a great team.

For the scrappy Hawks team it has not been a series of lucky shots or hot 3-point shooting. In fact, Joe Johnson's 3-pointer with just over a minute to go was the only successful 3-pointer from the team that finished 1-7 behind the line.

Meanwhile, Cleveland closed out the Washington Wizards and will be awaiting the winner of Boston and Atlanta. The expectation of Boston vs. Los Angeles in the finals is in serious jeopardy at this point while Kevin Garnett's teammates look more like members of the Minnesota Timberwolves than perennial all-stars.

If the Celtics go down it will mean a likely rematch between Cleveland and Detroit in the Eastern Conference Finals, and again it would likely be LeBron versus the balanced Pistons. That said, let's not get ahead of ourselves as Boston should be a heavy favorite going into game 7 and Kevin Garnett and the Celts should step up to claim the first round victory.

Avery Johnson is the only person who wouldn't blame Doc Rivers if the Celtics lost in round 1 of the playoffs. Afterall, doesn't the regular season mean anything?

Indians & Tigers are Back! + MLB Rewind

I can now comfortably say that the Detroit Tigers have turned things around for the season. There were a few points along the way where they showed the team was headed toward a winning season many predicted, but the recent sweep of the Yankees in New York and at only 1 game below .500, Detroit is back in contention.

Fortunately for Jim Leyland and the Tigers, the AL Central has been far from the hyper-competitive division many experts predicted. Many predicted winning 90 games would probably finish 3rd as preseason estimates had Detroit and Cleveland both at 90+ game winners. Now they're knotted up at 14-15 with only the Chicago White Sox ahead of them at 14-12.

With the first full month of the season in the books, baseball is resembling normality at this point. However, Brandon Webb could still pass for Superman and Derek Jeter's .357 slugging percentage more closely resembles a typical batting average for the Yankee captain.

Here are a few things we know for sure at this point, and some questions that are unanswered.

What we know:
1. The Arizona Diamondbacks can pitch. With Brandon Webb, Dan Haren and Micah Owings combining for a 14-1 record as starters the three are making major leaguers look silly at the plate. While they won't maintain that pace all season, they're not just getting outs, they're dominating people at this point.

2. Carlos Zambrano would be the best hitter on the Cubs if it wasn't for Derek Lee. Zambrano has a .421 slugging percentage and has 9 homeruns in the past 2+ seasons. And oh, by the way, Zambrano is 4-1 with a 2.11 ERA. That big contract the Cubbies offered up is looking a lot better than the $126 million forfeited by the Giants for Barry Zito.

3. Torii Hunter was a great addition to the Los Angeles Angels. Hunter is batting .299 with 55 total bases, second on the team and ahead of Vladimir Guerrero. Most importantly, Hunter is making it tougher for opposing pitchers to work through the middle of the Angels' lineup. No more are these a scrappy bunch of base stealers with one big bat in the lineup, the Angels are going to go as far as their pitching can hold up, and that appears to be to an AL West title.

Now for what we don't know:
1. Greg Maddux should get to win 350 before the All-Star break. For one of the greatest pitchers of all time, and the greatest of this era (I'll reference all Clemens proponents to the Mitchell Report), but the Padres are not giving Maddux any help. In his last two outings since reaching 349 career wins, Maddux has gone 7 innings of 4-hit ball without a run in the first (no decision) and 6.1 innings of 3-run ball in the second (loss). With Adrian Gonzalez as the team's primary offensive force, it's little wonder that Maddux, Young, Peavy and the rest will struggle to get wins this season despite having ridiculous ERAs.

2. Where John Smoltz will fall in the rotation by season end. John Smoltz just hit the 15-day disabled list and is reportedly going to be returning to the team as a reliever. While John Smoltz was the best closer in baseball a couple years ago, he is far too talented to be in that role. I have a lot of respect for someone like Mariano Rivera who can completely shut down the middle of a lineup in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Smoltz made a bigger impact throwing 8-inning gems than he ever can out of the 'pen. That said, who could blame a guy who consistently plays his heart out and rarely gets any runs from his team. Thank goodness for Atlanta that Chipper got off to a hot start (.410 average, 8hr) because the team is 0-9 in 1-run games so far this year. Switch that to 9-0 and theyd have the best record in baseball.

3. How long Roy Halladay's arm will stay on. The season is still young but Halladay has already thrown 4 complete games and leads the bigs in innings pitched. With a 3.26 ERA Halladay has looked sensational at times. Now for the downside; at 2-4 Halladay is getting no help and without the underproducing Frank Thomas, there is little pop left in the lineup aside from Vernon Wells. Already in last place in one of the most top heavy divisions in baseball, Toronto is going to need Halladay to continue throwing strong late into the season, but the amount of innings he has pitched already are going to catch up to him eventually.

The season is still young and there are a lot of moves yet to take place, but we're already primed for a big summer. Do you think the Yankees will miss A-Rod while Jeter is hitting the way he is? Hopefully for them they're not 10 games back when he returns.