NHL Playoff Update!!!

If you haven't been watching (CAPS FANS), the NHL Playoffs are getting very very interesting. Remember that gritty team that wasn't supposed to have a chance against the superior talented Penguins?? Well the Habs are back at it, the Canadiens have come back to tie the series against the Pens at 2 games a piece. They waited until the Caps were up 3 games to 1 before coming back to win that series in 7 games, this time they didn't wait nearly as long!! Sid the Kid has yet to put a puck in the back of the net, the Canadeins have done a great job taking him out of this series and not letting up at all. As long as they keep scratching and clawing the Habs have a good chance to upset another top ranked team in their conference. The Bruins are ready to take the broom out and complete the sweep of the Flyers!! I didn't think this series was going to go this quick, the Flyers need to play with more heart and try to get back in this series. The Redwings were right where the Bruins are right now, they responded by coming out in Game 4 and blasting the Sharks 7-1!!! Even with that blowout win, the Redwings have a steep hole to climb out of as they are still down 2 games in this series. The Sharks now lead 3 games to 1. Vancouver is looking up at the Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago is up in the series 2 games to 1. They play tonight and the Canucks can not afford to go down 3 games to 1, the Blackhawks are doing something no team in Chicago has been known for doing in a while. That's to succeed in the Post Season, this game is a pivotal game in this series because a tie gives the momentum back to the Canucks and a win for the Blackhawks entrenches them in the driver seat. Do you still see the Penguins as the favorites now that they are in a dogfight with the Canadiens? Can the Redwings and Bruins stave off elimination?

Who is the Defending Eastern Conference Champs??

I will give you a clue, the team is not coached by Mike Brown. This team isn't worried about July 1st and an impending decision their franchise player might or might not make regarding free agency. Nor is the reigning 2 time MVP on their roster, just a couple of guys you may have heard of and the NBA's reigning 2 time Defensive Player of the Year. Why is it that a team that didn't win their conference gets more publicity than the team that did?? It's not as if the team I am speaking of doesn't have a superstar in this league!! Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic are being EXTREMELY EXTREMELY EXTREMELY DISRESPECTED by the media and the NBA!!! All the Magic did was make it to last year's NBA Finals without their starting point guard, they also went through Cleveland without Jameer Nelson. They are also UNDEFEATED in this year's playoffs unlike the Cleveland Cavaliers, they gave Atlanta an old fashioned early 1990's NBA playoff statement butt whipping and everyone pretended like that was an accident. What does Orlando have to do for people to respect them as one of the best teams in this year's playoffs?? They won their 1st round series without the services of their star (Dwight Howard) against an upstart Bobcat team, do you think the Cavs could have won their first round series with LeBron only playing 20 to 25 min a game? I really doubt that, what do you think of Orlando's playoff performance thus far ??? Do you think they are going to repeat as the Eastern Conference Champions??

Heees Baaack!!!

There's a lot of big stories this year in baseball, every day someone does something even more amazing than a player or team did the day before. I mean we have the Nationals with a winning record, the Rays possibly the best team in baseball, Andre Eithier possibly becoming an all time great clutch hitter, Jason Heyward doing things rookies have no business doing, Roy Holliday performing at an even higher level than he normally is at, and the Machine or Alber Pujos whichever you want to call him showing us that he's nowhere close to slowing down. One story that I think has gone unearthed, the reemergence of Francisco Liriano!! Liriano was in the same conversation as Felix Hernandez a couple years ago prior to his injury, you really couldn't mention Felix without mentinoing Francisco. After a terrible year last year, it looks like the guy is back on track to live up to his potential. His velocity is coming back and his control is better than ever. Prior to the injury in 2007, Liriano posted a 12-3 record with a 2.16 ERA and get this....144 strikeouts!!! He got hurt in '07, his numbers in '08 and '09.....3.91 and 5.80 ERA and there were nothing but words of his demise and whispers that his best days were behind him. Liriano responded this year by coming out and showing everybody what kind of talent he really is!!! Liriano is 4-0 with a 1.50 ERA and 36 strikeouts, how has his performance gone unnoticed?? The lefty is only 26, with all of this behind him the Twins and Liriano have a bright future. Were you aware that Liriano was pitching this good and if not do you think this story is worth sharing on a bigger level??

STOP HATING!!

What does Floyd Mayweather have to do for everyone to stop hating?? He PUNISHED Mosley last night, it wasn't even close!!! He did to Mosley what he does to everyone, make them look terrible!! Once again Floyd proved his skills are unmatched, he even took one hell of a right hand from Mosley and stayed on his feet. Everyone is always like Floyd can't take a punch, well he took that one last night on his way to delivering several more to Mosley. I hate doing this, but let's look at the punches landed to punches thrown. I try to tell everyone that Floyd is soooo nice he barely gets touched and makes boxing look way too easy!! Floyd landed 208 of 477 compared to Mosley's 92 of 452. I'm not the greatest at math but someone not named Mayweather got pounded!!! I told many people last week that I wasn't even excited because the outcome was already guaranteed, if they had fought maybe 5 years ago than I would have had faith in it being an even fight. If not even at least I would have honestly given Mosley a puncher's chance, you can't hit what you cant see. Not only that, Floyd showed the haters something new last night by being the aggressor. Most of his critics say all he does is run, well last night it looked like Mosley was running or at least trying to run out of the way of the bombs being landed routinely by Mayweather. I am part of the crowd that believes that boxing is an art and Floyd is a painter out of the old days. I would have loved to see how he would have done maybe 15 to 20 years ago when boxing was boxing and not all about the all mighty "knockout." It's a shame to watch someone so dominant at their sport be unappreciated by fans that may not quite understand it or get blinded by their personal dislike. Skill is skill and Floyd's is on another level. Unfortunately I don't think people are going to appreciate his talent until he's gone and done, like maybe years later even. After last night's fight does your opinion of Mayweather change or remain the same???

Can the Habs do it again?

The Canadiens came back and beat the Caps in a 7 game series, they are already down a game to the Penguins after 1. The Redwings cruised past their 1st round match up and now are looking at a real challenge in climbing out of a hole to even the series at 1 against the Sharks. The Bruins and Flyers series has yet to begin, I'm picking the Flyers in that series though as much as I dislike them. The Blackhawks outlasted the Bulls in terms of playoff life in the city of Chicago and they play the Canucks tonight in Vancouver. At least the 2nd round has begun in one sport's playoffs, the NBA needs to catch up!! Now that the Caps are out (needed a little time to grieve) and the gentle reminder of a friend(Pat I will not forget hockey) I will attempt to do a better job of covering the NHL Playoffs. Now that we all know who's still in, do you think the Pens will repeat??

Dez Bryant...out of shape?

I keep seeing articles about this as if this was a suprise, didn't Dez miss the remainder of this past season? He played in three games, so between those three games and Cowboys mini-camp all the time that passed...maybe 4-6 months? Yes he's going to be gassed, tired, doubled over and all that kind of stuff!! He missed a season in my eyes, a whole college season and people are truly suprised that he might be out of shape? For anyone who plays sports even on a low level knows that if you are playing consistently and then stop your wind is going to suffer. You might keep working out, but that doesn't change the fact that your "legs" are gone. The only thing that keeps your legs is running, or the game whatever it is that you were doing. Any stoppage in set activity will cause you to loose your legs,timing,endurance whatever you want to call it will be gone. Secondly why is it also a suprise that he is already arguably the best WR on that team? This is the same team that had Roy Williams higher on the depth chart than standout Miles Austin so it doesn't suprise me one bit. Do you think that too much is being made about Bryant's being in shape or lack there of?

The State of LA....

Is it me or should LA not be too proud to have beaten the Thunder in 6 games? Is it me or did LA look every bit the part of an incohesive team preparing for a title defense? Is it me or does Kobe look like he went even further back into the "my teammates can't be trusted" mode and I NEED to do it MYSELF mode? Do the Lakers miss Trevor Ariza, or was the acquisition of Artest 3 or 4 years past Artest's prime? Sometimes coming off a title defense the best thing to do is nothing, that's right NOTHING!! Do I think the Lakers with Ariza would have swept the Thunder? Maybe not, but at least it wouldn't have been this difficult. Ariza was able to stretch the floor with his shooting and his athleticism is needed on the perimeter, especially with an aging Bryant. Ariza was also a veteran of the Triangle, I am very sick of every anyalyst blaming Ron Artest for his inept play by putting it on the "Triangle." Artest like many before him are a casualty of playing with Bryant, not everyone is made out for that role. Ariza was a perfect compliment to Bryant, much like Pippen to Jordan(by no way am I putting Ariza in the same stratosphere with Pippen's talent) in the way that his style of play complimented Jordan. He was a classic #2, some are not built to be that and Artest is not one of those guys. Those type of players should be commended, it is not an easy task to be in that role and be extremely effective. The Lakers play the Jazz next, does Kobe dare to defend Deron Williams 1 on 1 for the entire series?