Tuesday

I'm comin for that #1 spot! - NBA Draft Preview and Predictions

I have wanted to do this for a while... But, things like work, family commitments for the upcoming wedding and this crazy weather that tempts me to be outdoors every chance I get, have prevented me from being able to write out the article the way I would like to. As I am writing this we are 3 hours from draft time and time is not on my side to do a detailed analysis of what is to come. I am going to go ahead and throw out my predictions for the draft. If all goes as planned... I will return tomorrow to see how my predictions fared compared to the real thing and give a roundup of who went where and other major happenings that went down on draft day. With a deep draft this year but no stand out future Michael Jordan's, many teams are hoping to hit the lottery. This years draft is loaded with an abundance of Point Guards and Guards so teams looking to get bigger may be looking to trade their picks for something better. The list I am including does not include any potential trades...

Note: Utah has already moved up the ladder to the 3rd spot by acquiring that pick from Portland for the 6th and 27th pick as well as a conditional 1st round pick next year.

1. Milwaukee Bucks: Andrew Bogut
2. Atlanta Hawks: Marvin Williams
3. Utah Jazz (from Portland): Chris Paul
4. New Orleans Hornets: Gerald Green
5. Charlotte Bobcats: Deron Williams
6. Portland Trailblazers: Danny Granger
7. Toronto Raptors: Antoine Wright
8. New York Knicks: Channing Frye
9. Golden State Warriors
: Hakeem Warrick
10. L.A. Lakers
: Fran Vasquez
11. Orlando Magic: Martell Webster
12. L.A.Clippers: Yaroslav Korolev
13. Charlotte Hornets
: Joey Graham
14. Minnesota Timberwolves: Raymond Felton
15. New Jersey Nets: Ike Diogu
16. Toronto Raptors: Jarrett Jack
17. Indiana Pacers
: Rashard McCants
18. Boston Celtics: Charlie Villanueva
19. Memphis Grizzlies: Sean May
20. Denver Nuggets: Francisco Garcia
21. Phoenix Suns: Wayne Simien
22. Denver Nuggets: Johan Petro
23. Sacramento Kings: Ersan Ilyasova
24. Houston Rockets: Chris Taft
25. Seattle Supersonics: Matt Walsh
26. Detroit Pistons: Julius Hodge
27. Portland Trailblazers: Ryan Gomes
28. San Anotonio Spurs: Salim Stoudamire
29. Miami Heat: Roko Leni Ukic
30. New York Knicks: David Lee

Breaking News: Done Deal!!!

"The days of jumping from the preps to the pros - the route to the NBA chosen by LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady and others - are almost over." San Antonio - (AP)



The NBA has reached an agreement with the NBA Players Union and hammered out a new 6 year deal which will replace the current agreement that expires on July 1st 2005. This is great news for the sport and all of its fans as a lockout would most definitely have had a negative impact on the game. I don't have time to do a full out analysis on the major changes in the agreement but I'll do my best to give a quick rundown of the new deal and my opinions on some of them.

Maximum contract length: The maximum length of contracts has been set at 6 years for players signing with their current teams and 5 years if they are signing with a new team. These numbers have been reduced from 7 years and 6 years respectively and provide owners more flexibility. This issue seemed of great importance to me. Firstly the NBA does not allow front loaded contracts and so you are basically investing in a 7 year career not expecting the players ability to play the game to decline over time. I had hoped for the max contract length to be 5 years with some kind of clause that would allow the player to extend it for a sixth year if he met certain criteria but for now something is better than nothing. Over the past few years we have seen multiple situations where a player at age of 29 is given a 7 year contract but he is burnt out by the 5th year of the contract and then you basically over paying a guy for two years or trading him for a Spalding or two.

Minimum Age for eligibility to enter the league: The minimum age to enter the draft has now been set to 19 years or one year removed from high school. International players will have to turn 19 by the end of the calendar year in which they become draft eligible. I think this is a very touchy subject for a lot of basketball fans who have seen the likes of Lebron James, Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant emerge and rapidly gain superstar status in the league but personally I think its a wise move on the part of the NBA to give the kids a chance to play in developmental leagues and show their skills away from the high school atmosphere this will also encourage players coming out of high school to attend a college or university which will only give them more in terms of maturity and exposure to different situations and all helps in the process of character building and mental toughness which is very much tested when you enter the big leagues.

Reduction in annual salary increase: The maximum annual raises within a contract have been reduced from 12.5% to 10.5 % if the player re-signs with his current team. If a player joins a new team, his annual raises within the new contract will be capped at 8 %. This is great incentive to get a player to stay with his team for the majority of his career. In the past 5-10 years we rarely see a player like Reggie Miller who sticks out with his team through his entire career. Sure when they get old and haven't gone tot he final dance the urgency is increased but this may keep some players aiming for this goal with teams longer as you lose out if you sign a new contract.

Drug testing: The number of random drug tests have been set at 4 per year even for veteran players. Also the penalties for testing positive have been increased where a 1st time offender will get a 10 game suspension, 2nd time is 25 games and 3rd time will cost a player a 1 year suspension. They have also placed a penalty where a 4th time offender will be given a lifetime ban from the league. This may seem harsh at first but with the state of drugs in sports it seems quite adequate and needs to be clear cut so that players don't even get tempted to cheat the sport by juicing up.

Rookie contracts: These contracts will only be guaranteed for two years with team options for the 3rd and 4th year. This is definitely something that benefits the owners. If a players turns out to be a bust or is not able to adjust to the NBA game they will not be bound to keep that player on for more than 2 years. This two years will give them enough time to evaluate if they want to extend the contract as well as send the player to the NBDL for development if needed. From the view of players, if they are unhappy with the team they got drafted by they have a shorter stay there...

Salary Cap: The salary cap has been increased 3 % from 48% of the league's basketball-related income to 51%. This effects the numbers greatly as what looked like a $43.8 million cap for the 2005-2006 season will now look more like a $51 million cap. This looks good for a lot of teams who did not mind spending $50 million but not at the cost of paying a tax of $7 million in order to do it. I know we are still in a time where contracts are very inflated and teams get stuck with players but a higher ceiling will give the teams a chance to sign more mid-level contracts.

Luxury Tax: The money the players pay has been reduced to 8% of their salaries for the length of the new agreement. That money returns to owners at the end of the season if the players' salaries exceed 57 percent of revenues. Under the luxury tax, which requires a dollar for dollar penalty for exceeding the salary cap, this money will now be equally distributed to all teams rather than just those who were under the ceiling for that year. I am not sure I agree with this.. Why should people paying the taxes get some of it back?? I want to look into this one further but for now this is how it stands. The money gets distributed equally so technically the penalty for being over the limit isn't so much as it may seem for the team at first when they get money back at the end of the year in the case where the players salaries exceed the allowed 57%.

Player compensations: The players are now set to receive a guaranteed number of 57% of basketball related revenues. Over the past two years this is the amount the players ended up receiving but this is now a guaranteed amount no matter what the league revenues are. This is an aspect that seems to be added in to balance out a lot of the other issues players have compensated on.

NBDL: Players in their first two years in the NBA now can be placed on teams in the NBA's developmental league where the minimum age will be reduced from 20 to 18. Minor leagues have worked out great for the NHL and MLB , and it's a great stepping stone for players entering the league who need experience at a more competitive level but are not yet ready for the big league. This will give the teams a chance to develop players who are seeing more bench time than floor time and in turn develop their skills playing in "game" situations. tThis will give the players a chance to be more prepared when they are called up to fill in orwhen they are ready to solidify their place on their NBA team.


Active roster's: Active roster's will be expanded to 14 players. This is something I hadn't really thought about but it will in a sense be creating more jobs and give more players a chance to showcase their talents and prove they belong on an NBA roster and also eliminate in most cases situations where due to injuries some teams in the past have been left with a bench of just 8-9 active players. ( I seen it happen to the Raptors numerous times over the past few "Vinjury" years)


That's all I can churn out for now... I'll be back later this week with my rundown of the upcoming NBA draft which includes what each team will be looking to address and what players should be available to them in the draft which goes down on June 28th 2005. Also, by the time that article is ready I should be able to give my two cents about the NBA finals as we are going to see a game 7 which has been a rarity in recent memory. I have really enjoyed the past 2 games and look forward to the deciding one. I shall leave you with a quote from a player currently in the NBA finals...

"Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best." - Tim Duncan

Sunday

Records, Repeats, Retirement and an inevitable Rehiring ...

A little update before I get to my regular article...

  • I want to take a minute to thank my dad for being such a great inspiration to me and I hope to one day garner the level of respect he does from all those around him. Happy Fathers Day to my dad and all the other dad's out there.
  • I have been swarmed with stuff over the last few weeks and this weekend I got a chance to get away. I went up to the lake and it was great (despite returning with numerous mosquito bites)
  • I got a chance to finally watch Mr. & Mrs. Smith and I really enjoyed it. The action sequences were great and there was a surprisingly witty banter that was present through the entire movie which created for a unique relationship between the two stars. Overall good entertainment and worth the $10. My next mission is to make some time this week and go watch "Batman Begins".

    "It is time for us to stand and cheer for the doer, the achiever, the one who recognizes the challenge and does something about it." - Vince Lombardi

    Here is my usual rundown of my top 5 sports stories for the past week (more like 10 days but oh well!) ...

    #5: The NBA Playoffs - Repeat?
    Over the past few weeks I have made it pretty clear that I am not a fan of either of the teams battling it out in this years NBA finals. I sit here on this Sunday afternoon going over box scores for the first 4 games and not surprisingly no team has scored 100 points yet in this series. On the other hand, both teams have taken care of their home court and as we head into game 5 we are all locked up at 2-2. There have been some unsung heroes in each game .. The latest being Lindsay Hunter who scored 17 points. Manu Ginobli has been completely ineffective over the last two games and one may say he is injured but this is gut check time. In order for the Spurs to prevent the Pistons to repeat their feat of last year they are going to have to pull it together and win the game tonight on the road. With Tim Duncan shooting around 30% over the last 2 games and Ginobli struggling this is looking to be a very uphill climb for the best team during the regular season. In previous years Duncan always had David Robinson right beside him and the time has come now to get others to step up be it Ginobli, the streaky Tony Parker or a role player like Nazr Mohammed.

    #4: TKO - The end of an Era
    19 years ago he was the youngest heavyweight champion in the boxing world. Last weekend as he lay slumped over at the end of the 6th round of his bout versus Kevin McBride it was evident the road has come to an end. This is the same man who tried to bite off the ear of his opponent several years ago and once again his desperation was evident as he attempted to break McBride's arm along with some cheap shots. Tyson at the age of 20 had a bright future looking ahead but he squandered all that in the years following as he had a 3 year stint in jail followed by a bankruptcy charge. Boxing is not really my thing but I too have sat down with my dad to watch a few of these great fights I watched the Tyson v/s Buster Douglas in 1990 and I watched the infamous fight against Holyfield. Boxing is a skill sport and when watching it at the Olympic level every 4 years I gain a new appreciation for it but an athlete like Mike Tyson eliminated the idea of "sport" from the event as over the last few years it been a lot about the money he is being paid rather than the fight itself. Last weekend he looked old and tired and probably not to anyone's surprise he came out the next day and announced that he has decided to walk away from the sport. He spoke in a press conference saying ""I'm sorry I let everybody down, I just don't have it in my heart anymore." In my eyes he had taken the heart out of the sport a long time ago.

    #3: Lockout - Is history going to repeat itself?
    As the 11th hour approaches the NBA labour talks have hit a lot of bumps. For sometime last week things were looking bleak as both sides lashed out at each other. Not brought to the heights of the NHL labour dispute yet but things are looking like they can get ugly really fast. There are the issues of contract lengths, minimum age to enter the league and harsher drug testing that have taking the stage as the main negotiating topics. In these talks we have also heard about implementing some clause for player asking for trades publicly (a.k.a Vince Carter) which may lead to the value of the player being lost. The current contract that ends on July 1st is very much in favour of giving the players a bigger piece f the pie and the player agents are not going to let this go easily. I personally feel that if the maximum contract lengths are not changed much they need to allow the contracts to be heavily loaded in the he early years rather than the last year being the highest where the teams are stuck in the 6th year of a contract with a player not even worth half of what he was. Also there needs to be a deal made in order to prevent these trade and don't show up to play and go back to your old team stuff where players are still getting paid for these antics a-la Gary Payton and Alonzo Mourning. There is a lot of talking still to be done and things began to look up towards the end of the week when the two sides met for 10 hours and are presumable close to a 6 year deal. Until then I shall keep my fingers crossed and hope this league doesn't see the same fate of the NHL.

    #2: 400 and counting - A-Rod reaches a landmark
    Congratulations!!! On June 8th 2005 Alex Rodriguez became the youngest member to join the 400 Home Run club. The Yankees have had a very shaky start to their season and this is definitely one of the bright spots of the season to date. It is most definitely a personal achievement but helps lift the teams morale as well as the owners as their money spent shows some signs of return on investment. For years A-Rod was a big money player playing on a losing team and now he stands in the spotlight in a Yankees uniform and says hitting this 400 hr in that uniform made it even better. Yet, it was only a month ago where everyone down in the Bronx questioned his role on the team and he took a lot of smack from the media. This feat completed by A-rod did not get the hype it may have elsewhere though as the team has other things its worrying about. In a time where the sport is tainted by steroids linked to all the power hitters in the game A-Rod looks like the knight in shining armour but he has a long ways to go. (Read more about this here)

    #1: California Love - The Zen master is back in La La Land
    "Welcome Back, Welcome Back, Welcome Baaack" ... To the tune of Mase, the L.A Lakers have wooed back one of the greatest coaches in the history of the sport. Just a year ago the Zen Master, Phil Jackson walked away from this very team for reasons that included his inability to coach the All-Star Kobe Bryant. The Lakers need a high profile coach to keep their fans believing and there was no better out there than Phil Jackson. He had ties to the team even when he was away from them, his girlfriend happens to be the daughter of the owner Jerry Buss and all if there was anywhere he would couch after leaving a year ago was right back in LA, a high profile team which has Hollywood as its backdrop. His differences with Kobe were also very evident as he detailed the issues he had in a book that was published last year but over time and several lunch dates later, it seems that they are ready to give it a shot. "I think it's a matter of trust and rebuilding the trust that we've had," Jackson said. "I have talked to Kobe. He called me this morning, congratulating me on the job, and I felt confident that's he's confident that we can go forward. I think that was the important part." The day Phil Jackson walked from the Lakers last year also prompted Shaq O'Neal to ask to be moved. I still believe Kobe Bryant is the "virus" and I shall watch closely to see how this rekindled relationship works out over the course of the next season.

  • Tuesday

    Monologue: The sound of wedding bells is giving me a headache!

    "Marriage is a matter of give and take, but so far I haven't been able to find anybody who'll take what I have to give." - Cass Daley

    Summertime in Toronto is amazing! As residents of the great white north most of us look forward to these three months of basking in the sun enjoying the patio life and wearing minimal clothing. This summer is going to be different for me though. My brother is getting married in less than two months and check this ... He is marrying the girl next door (literally!) This girl also happens to be one of my oldest friends in the city... Little did I know that one of my best friends and future sister-in-law had "BRIDEZILLA" tendencies!!!

    Before I go any further I want to shed some light of what a Pakistani wedding entails... A wedding in my culture aint just a pretty ceremony with lots of free booze (actually there is not a drip of alcohol present). The wedding usually takes place over 4-5 days depending on the families and what they decided on. 5 different locations are sought out and not to mention catering done different for each event. It requires months of practice of choreographed dancing for one of the events that takes place before the actual wedding day. It requires putting ridiculous amounts of henna on your hands as to show you are celebrating a wedding (mind you I can't bear the look of it on my own hands). Wedding outfits are custom made for every person in the family and their cats and dogs practically. I know weddings are huge in every culture but in ours tradition has taken the reins and we are sent in a frenzy... From wrapping random fruits baskets to preparing garlands for the bride's family when they enter the wedding hall. We are talking like a big Broadway production ... With the bride and groom as the stars headlining the show and a group of 200 supporting roles a.k.a family and extended family and their extended family, and this number doesn't even include the 500 or so extras who get to be the guests of this huge production.

    Now that you have an idea of what a South Asian wedding is like let me dive in and bring you up to speed with the madness that has been going on for the last year or so. My family is based in Dubai, the bride is from Toronto so she wanted the wedding here. Since my parents have a lot of ties in Pakistan and Dubai this wedding is taking place in three countries!! Insane or what?? We got 10 days of events and dinners here before I jet of to Pakistan for more ceremonies and then off to Dubai for the finale! Personally I think its ridiculous I feel like we are honeymooning with the bride and groom traveling to all these places but as the sister of the groom I don't have much say in this...

    Last weekend the cards were finally ready to be written (not without a big fuss that the bride and groom did not like the font) and so a 8 hour calligraphy session ensued ... In other words, writing out the names on the invitation cards for the wedding (thus my blogging hiatus). I figured since the wedding is in Toronto we will have a smaller guest list (I mean how many people can my family have gotten to know in 7 years??).. BOY was I wrong!! My fingers are numb from writing out 600 cards and then I got the news.... Nat you gotta divide the piles and start delivering them if you don't have mailing addresses.... HECKKK NO... It aint my wedding? Why am I suckered into this stuff. Sure I am the only person from my immediate family who is in the city right now but cot dayum why do I have to suffer. Sure my brother is the first to get married in the family so the excitement is up a notch but really do we have to go through all this?? Let me take you back a few months... When the wedding cards were not even in the picture. I went weeks where for hours on end all I heard was "OMG!! What should we give as gifts for all the guests to take home?", "do you like these heart shaped candles", "do you know any photographers", or "Hey Nat, wanna come cake tasting with me" and not to forget the 10 bridal shows that were attended in a span of 1 month. Everything from the colour of the bangles her friends should wear to the shape of the cake has been made into a production. Tears have been shed, tantrums thrown and when I'm about to give up I get told " she is young... You have to be the wiser one and guide her"!!

    Now ... I am not a hater and hope to say my own vows some day, but not at the expense of driving everyone around me to the brink of insanity. I can't wait for this wedding to be over.. I have lost track of reality in the midst's of choosing venues and tasting 20 versions of chocolate mousse... I need a vacation A.S.A.P.

    edit: note to "M" ... I gave you the heads up that I was going to blog about this and I hope u can take it as it is.. A little insight into a paki wedding... some details have been given a little umphh for effect. You know im happy for both of you and i shall be dancing the night away when the time comes.

    Speak Up... But it may cost ya 20 grand!!!

    A few things I need to blurt out before I carry on with my regularly scheduled blog...

  • I am very upset that the pistons beat the heat!!
  • I added scoreboards on here to make my life easier to get to CBS sportsline and hopefully my other readers lives too. (tiefed the idea from the guys at
  • NBASource)
  • I signed on to a new job contract this week!! I get to work from home 3 days a week until July when the contract ends. (gotta love freelance)
  • I lost $60 bucks playin poker this weekend... I guess you can't win 'em all.
  • Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us
  • I got a nice tan just drivin top down in my baby thanks to the beautiful weather we have been getting for the last couple of days. (click thumbnail for a larger view of aforementioned baby )


  • My hands got quite the workout along with my calligraphy skills this past weekend, as I wrote out 400+ wedding cards for my brothers wedding going down in 2 months. (I shall be bloggin on this subject in the near future so stay tuned ... Imagine the bride standing over my head saying "No!!!! That is crooked... Redo that one!!!")

  • Now onto my regular top 5 sports stories for the past week...

    #5: Tennis - Is it about the game at all anymore?
    So the French Open just concluded this past weekend and I really got to thinking about the sport. The women and their looks are almost the sole feature keeping this game alive for television audiences. Tennis is not even close to attracting the type of audiences other professional sports have in the past 10 years. In the glory days of the sport, the skill and the elegance of this individual sport was making headlines daily. The Americans had their share of fame as they dominated the ranks for many years. Now, we see a new breed infiltrated into the game... The beautiful women. It began with the hype over Anna Kournikova and its become a phenomenon. Are people watching tennis for the sport anymore? There was a simplicity to the game back in the day where all the paticipants wore white and drank tea the morning before Wimbledon but now these athletes with their clothing lines and designer duds are parading the red carpets as if they were a Hollywood celebrity. The Williams sisters entered the stage when women's tennis was definitely on a rise and they brought power and grit to the game but since have also signed onto multi million dollar endorsements and become self proclaimed "fashion designers". The men in the game have taken a back seat.. What was once " wow! Its going to be an Pete Sampras v/s Andre Agassi final" has now come down to reports of what the latest Russian Beauty was wearing as she hit balls with her equally beautiful training partner. Even though this all sounds very negative I think it has done the game good.

    #4: FIFA -Are you ready for some FOOTBALL!!
    I have to admit I don't follow league play much when it comes to football but I am a big Italy fan and always get hyped up when the EuroCup is about to roll around and even more so now as we head into qualifying for the World Cup to be held in Germany next summer. The Euro Cup last year was some of the best soccer(yes I prefer to call it that) I seen in a while and I have a new team I am following... Portugal. Living in Toronto we have a great mix of cultures and it was evident last year as all the Greek flags went up as Greece won the final over Portugal and next summer will be even more intense. I love to see all the national pride and the old rivalries build up. Soccer is not as big in North America as it is in Europe, but when World Cup comes around everyone seems to become a die hard fan. It brings generations together, it creates some healthy competition and overall is one of the most successful sporting events. These athletes are playing not for millions of dollars for those 2 weeks they are playing for their country and in ways similar to the Olympics it has been successful in highlighting a lot of positive things about the less fortunate countries who do get the chance to show the world some of their greatness. (the pic is just eye candy for me.. LOL I think Christiano Ronaldo is HOT!)

    #3: NFL - Locked Up or On the Run?
    Its the offseason and the NFL Draft has come and gone but that doesn't mean they players of the league decide to stay out of the sports headlines. Last week in particular there was a ton of coverage on Jamal Lewis being released from his four month off season jail sentence. (story here & here) I understand that the media has to find the positive in this situation but wait till he gets on the field again before deciding to big up how happy he is to be out and how he is looking forward to playing again. A couple of days later Sean Taylor popped up in the news as he turned himself in on a charge of aggravated assault with a firearm. (story here) Not that this was enough Indianapolis Colts cornerback was charged with battery over the past weekend. (story here) That is the gist of what I'm getting at... In my last article I mentioned how I felt the sports media approaches reporting on professional sports similar to the way Hollywood is covered, but these atheletes are role models to many and more so they are ruining the face of the sports they play. In Hollywood you may hate the actor but they play someone else in the movie, these athletes don't have the luxury of switching into another role some game time. They are setting a terrible example and the offseason seems to be far from what it stands for as they seem busy posting bonds and making speeches about how they have cleaned up. I hope this past week isn't a common occurrence as these athletes make the news for all the wrong reasons.

    #2: NBA - Whatever you say might cost ya!
    This topic was the inspiration for the title of my post. Is it possible to speak up at all these days without getting a $20,000 fine slapped on your ass if not a couple games suspensions(a-la-George Karl) Last week Rasheed Wallace got fined $20 grand for his public criticism of game officiating. (Story here) I understand that the NBA does not want their officiating crew to take blame for what goes on with the games but what about freedom of speech. Sheed is an emotional guy and he has been one of the most penalized players in the history of the game in his 10 year career. I understand that he used some "inappropriate language" but really should saying the refs sucked cost him 20 grand?? I don't agree with that. Mark Cuban has been fined thousands and recently in this years playoffs Jeff Van Gundy got slapped with a hefty one for speaking against the officiating. I understand both sides as the refs are just trying to do their jobs the best they can but the players and coaches feel the refs control the outcome of a game too much at times. Its a tough situation but I don't feel such hefty fines are due as people who voice their feelings are using their freedom of speech. In other news George Karl, coach of the Denver Nuggets broke one of the infinite number of rules in the NBA by inadvertently (or so they say: read story) speaking to a player not yet eligible for the draft. This cost his 3 game suspension and the team $200,000. All this said as long as the ppl keep speaking up, the NBA will remain to be a highly profitable business.

    #1: NBA - Offence wins games ... Defense wins championships
    I am going to state again... I dislike both the teams that have advanced to the NBA finals. I am a fan of the sport, so, odds are I will sit down and watch parts of each game but I just can't sit through games that have more rebounds and blocks than points scored. I understand that they are the best of the best and that is why they have reached the finals, but at the same time I was hoping to see an offensive team face off versus a defensive team. The pistons and spurs don't try to score they try to stop the other teams from scoring and if they score thanks to a defensive play that's a bonus. I know a lot of people feel differently but I personally like the uptempo style of game where assists lead to dunks rather than when a block leads to a turnover! Highlight of the Detroit Pistons team is watchin what Ben Wallace will decide to do with his fro on game days and on the other end Ginobli is a pleasant surprise amongst a team of defensive specialist's. I am going to go out on a Limb and say if Tim Duncan is well rested and close to 100%, I give the series to the San Anotnio Spurs if not its gonna be a REEEPEEEAT by the Deeeeetroit Pistons! Expect the series to go into 6 games until we see a winner and don't expect the point totals to exceed 100 points this series for either team on any given night. I'll wait till next year to hope the raptors see a glimpse of the playoffs let alone reach the final dance, until then, ill get myself a good book and sit thru this snooze fest!

    Sunday

    Scene 4 - Take 2: Sports on the Silver Screen

    My last post covered media in sports. This triggered some comparisons with the movie industry and the way reporting on the two can be approached with flexibility when it comes to factual information and some level of fabrication to make the stories more entertaining.

    Today I woke up with an idea for my next post... I have decided to count down my top 20 sports movies of all time. I can't say the big screen has done much justice to sports with the movies they have put out there, but there have been a bunch of memorable ones.

    #20: Million Dollar Baby
    #19: Girl Fight
    #18: Caddyshack
    #17: When we were Kings
    #16: Rocky
    #15: Happy Gilmore
    #14: Field of Dreams
    #13: Tin Cup

    #12: Hoop Dreams
    #11: Coach Carter
    #10: For the Love of the Game
    #9: Any Given Sunday
    #8: Ali
    #7: Friday Night Lights
    #6: He Got Game
    #5: Remember the Titans
    #4: Love & Basketball
    #3: Hoosiers
    #2: Raging Bull
    #1: Rudy


    Honorable Mention goes to....

    Football: Varsity Blues & The Longest Yard (older version)
    Baseball: Major League
    Hockey: Slapshot & Miracle
    Basketball: White men can't Jump & Above the Rim
    Misc: Cool Runnings & Jerry Maguire

    There you have it... My favourite sports movies. Some of the ones I have listed have the premise of sports but are about so much more. If there are any movies you think I overlooked or you feel deserve to be on this list go ahead and list them. Until tomorrow when I return with my usual top 5 stories I shall leave you a quote..

    "All's fair in love and basketball." - Quincy in the movie Love & Basketball

    Friday

    Sports Media - Will the "real" journalist's please stand up

    Before I dive head-first into my rant...

    First, I want to give a shout out to Scott at Raptorblog who was brought on the radio show hosted by Sports Bloggers Live. He did a great job giving some insight into the upcoming NBA Draft as well as defending Canada in the process. Scott is mentioned as one of the "blog" fathers when it comes to blogging about the NBA and you should definitely check his stuff out.

    Secondly, I want to give props to my two favorite NBA bloggers Anthony and Paul at NBASource. They are knowledgeable about the game and have provided very insightful pieces on the NBA as I have followed their writing all season long. I want to take this opportunity to voice my displeasure in some of the backlash they took for an article they wrote recently. The guys took a little step away from the game itself and brought us a humorous piece on NBA Wives. I did not take credibility away from them, I took the article at face value and took in their witty comments. Their site carries a good amount of traffic as they write for a couple of other NBA sites as well but the comments on their previous articles were few and far between. This time around this article, which was meant to be funny not insulting, started getting backlash of racism and even went as low as insulting the way they look or their sexual preferences. One comment asked these guys to stop writing if they were going to write this stuff. My issue began here... Freedom of speech is the biggest weapon "Journalists" have and when used wisely they build on their credibility. These guys have been putting out some great reads and that article achieved exactly what it was trying to be t.. "humourous" !!! I shall leave it at that...and I recommend their site to any NBA fan.

    Now on to my scheduled rant...
    Jour-na-lism: Journalism is a discipline of collecting, verifying, reporting and analyzing information gathered regarding current events, including trends, issues and people.

    My girl Kim recently posted on the subject of journalism and the "celebritism" that some journalists have acquired. She argued that does this cause them to lose their credibility. Quoted below is part of her post... (you can check the entire post here)

    We can also ask the question... Are American journalists different from Canadian ones? I would have to argue 'yes'. Put a picture of King and Peter Mansbridge side by side and ask folks around the world to identify both men. They know Larry King. Mansbridge? "Who's that?"

    Well-known American journalists are seen as celebrities. If Mansbridge or Robertson were riding the TTC I highly doubt people would be clamoring for an autograph.

    Is the fact that many Canadian journalists are not on the level of 'celebritism' a good thing? And for those journalists that are... are they still credible? Are they still "trustworthy"?


    Yes... American Journalists are different if you put these two in comparison. Just the fact that CNN is broadcast to a larger audience and is more accessible than CBC. Larry King is not just a Journalist (if we are giving him that title) he is a TV "personality", he is a cultural icon of our century. His exposure on one of the most watched news channels around the world has a lot to do with the "celebrity" status he has achieved. Peter Mansbridge may have the same credibility and a list of accolades but if your are reading the news or writing the news, as long as the amount of exposure you have is limited or controlled it is a lot harder to reach this level of "celebritism". Don Cherry, one of the hosts of Hockey Night in Canada is a closer comparison to Larry King due to the fact that even though he isn't considered a journalist he is a sports "analyst" with a great deal of knowledge on the game and has come to be known over time as a great sports "personality".

    Kim's piece sparked up discussions about sports journalists and the differences between broadcasters and journalists which led to the title of my rant and my further analysis of the argument at hand. Paul Benedict from NBASource did 2 articles rating the broadcast talent on the major TV networks covering the NBA. (article 1 - article 2) On Television, the title of "Sports Journalist" is used very freely and its very misleading. Marv Albert who does the play by play for NBA ON TNT is not a journalist, I would categorize him as a sports analyst and a sports announcer, who gives his opinions and insight on the game as it is unfolding. David Aldridge who serves as the courtside reporter for the same broadcast, is a journalist as he is reporting data he has gathered from sources and presents it to the viewers. Now Steve Kerr is not broadcaster he is merely there to give insight to the game, he is an analyst who is trying to build into a announcer. In a similar way Don Cherry and Ron MacLean who co-host Hockey Night in Canada complement each other but one is a sports analyst with first hand knowledge of the game ( as per Steve Kerr) and the other is a Broadcaster who complements Mr. Cherry and provides analysis. Bringing it back to the studios... The hosts of "Sportscenter" are broadcasters simply conveying the news provided to them by journalists!

    The print media is a lot more defined in terms of who the journalists are. Sure there is a great deal of fabrication but these people are still journalists. The NBA, NFL and other professional sports are a business and the media is like free advertising for them in a way. Sports is considered entertainment and the journalism is given a lot more leeway v/s other news like world issues. Categorized as entertainment for the masses, just like the Hollywood the rumour mill is always running when it comes to sports journalism. False reporting is taken a lot more lightly in sports due to its entertaining nature. Reading about Terrel Owens drama is like the equivalent about Tom Cruise fit on Oprah, they both provide for entertaining reads even if parts of the articles are fabricated. Sports is like any other business, and it is reported on in ways that create a buzz. When a journalist is writing a piece about a family whose house burnt down they get all the facts and its written with a lot more integrity, where as, writing about Terrel Owens new hissy fit has a great deal of leeway in terms of how far the writer can go in order to "entertain".

    I am not trying to take away the integrity of sports journalist but just wanted to point out some issues I have been thinking about. Does the fact that professional sports leagues are part of the entertainment business ruin the credibility of those writing for it? In a strange way.. Yes! For me its more realistic to compare sports journalism to Hollywood reporting rather than with news released by the Reuters. I personally wish to enter the field someday somehow but for now I'll keep blogging....

    Wednesday

    Just what the Doc ordered...

    Grrrr... So I wrote this entire article on Monday and Blogger decided to hiccup on me and *POOF* it was all gone. I was infuriated at all the time I had lost and all that remained was the headings and images for this article. I was too frustrated to write again that day so now its Wednesday and I finally have as promised, my top 5 sports news stories of the past week (well its 10 days now, but oh well...) This has been a pretty slow week in terms of big tings going on in the world of sport but ya know me... I'll find something to criticize and analyze. So in no particular order here they are...

    #5: Sunset - Is the road over for the Phoenix Suns?
    This year we have not seen much in the way of upsets in the NBA playoffs. The Eastern Conference series is all tied up at 2-2 and it involves the two teams predicted by most at the start of the playoffs. The only "story" in the east, is Shaq playing injured and if that is going to hurt the Miami Heat's chances to go to the finals. The Western Conference, just like previous years is where the drama is at and for the first time in this years playoffs the Phoenix Suns are in a deep hole as they face elimination. The series is at 3-1, as the San Antonio Spurs have placed a damper on the Suns high powered offence and have a stranglehold on the series. The Suns were the most entertaining team to watch, all season and heading into the playoffs, their style was questioned "will it work in playoff basketball?" Truth of the matter is I really don't want to see a Detroit Pistons v/s San Antonio Spurs Final, as both are highly defensive teams and it becomes a half court game. But the dilemma lies here... Offence wins games.. Defense wins championships.. But the latter also creates some really boring basketball. So a team like the suns sacrificed defense to try a faster style of game based around offense and after tonight they might be going fishing or golfing or whatever they do in the offseason.. Then once again we will be forced into watching defensive basketball and the fact that the style did not work for the Phoenix Suns may deter other teams from trying this run and gun style of play.

    #4: The NHL - Will changing the rules help change its fate?
    The NHL and the NHLPA held talks last week that continued into this week and word around is they are closer to a deal for the coming season. They have a deadline to look at because they are risking the loss of a lot of advertising dollars if they do not come to an agreement sooner rather than later. In the past month, a group has offered to buy the NHL , and several other groups have started putting together ideas for a new hockey league. With all this happening the NHL decided to take two days out last week to look at the rules and ways to change the game to make it more entertaining. Now, I do understand that everything needs to evolve, and the NHL, NFL and NBA are all considered forms of entertainment, but this sport goes way back and I would think changing the size of the net considerably and reducing the size of padding the goaltender wears may hurt the integrity of the game. I don't mind implementing some rules that have worked in International hockey and are used throughout the European league but the game of hockey has strong roots and changing it up into a made for TV event is just ruining it for the real fans of the game.

    #3: Danica - Women have an advantage racing cars
    Women are said to have a faster response time in their movements than men. They are said to have better hand eye coordination, they tend to have smaller feet, they even tend to be lighter in weight... all this taken into consideration I wonder why Danica Patrick was only the 4th women to enter, as well as be successful in the car racing circuit. I personally cannot attest to being a fan of the sport, the closest thing I watch is Formula 1 racing but this news story was all over the place last week as Danica was set to race in the Indianapolis 500 one of the most prestigious races, the equivalent of Daytona for nascar or Monaco Grand Prix for F1. The stage was set for an exciting race and she held a lead well into the race, even after making a couple of rookie mistakes she was able to place 4th. I decided to look into the history of this sport and from reading a lot of articles I concluded that this is a huge step for women in sports. Boxing, Golf and Car Racing have always been sports heavily dominated by men and this is a big breakthrough for a woman to do so well and open the door for more women to try their hand at it. Golf opened its gates to women not to long ago and more and more female boxers are emerging after this weekend I hope to hear of more women taking part in professional car racing circuit because of all the sports mentioned this one seems to be condusive to the strengths women posess over men.

    #2: What's up Doc - The Jays have a WMD!
    The Doc is showing us why he was the Cy Young winner two years ago. The Blue Jays may not have a bloated payroll or a line-up full of all-stars but what they do have is Doc Halladay their own "weapon of mass destruction" Going into the season people did not know what to expect as the previous year had been disappointing after a cy young season but the Doc has come back strong. He has a 8-2 record through the end of may with an E.R.A of 2.54. At the rate he is going he is in line for another Cy Young nod. Besides his stellar pitching performances his teammates have emerged as sluggers this year. They don't lower their heads when they are down by 2-3 runs going into the 7th .. They have had a lot of comebacks this season and we are only two months in. We may not have an A rod on our team or a Pedro but we have now got a group pf players who seem to want to win. They are young and they are battling with the best of them and with a winning record for both the months of April and may we can be assured that this Blue Jays team with the Doc leading them thru is ready to fight for a spot int he playoffs in the near future. The Blue Jays are fun to watch again!

    #1: Lotto649? - Who will answer the Raptors Prayers
    The NBA lottery is the equivalent of hope for all the teams that failed to see any time in the post season. The Milwaukee Bucks proved why this is called a Lottery... They were able to take the 6% or so odds they had and turn it into a #1 pick. If the raptors would be so lucky... Now as workouts begin and rumours fly abound we all begin to speculate who will end up where. The Raptors have their best draft position in a while 2 first round and 2 second round picks. Will the Bucks use their number 1 pick and draft the big man Adrew Bogut? How far will Hakeem Warrick drop after his NCAA performance? Will Lebron James get the offensive weapon he needs to help take the Cavs to the post season? These are all the questions going around.. But my question... Will Rob Babcock do anything to erase the raptor fans memories of what he did to us last year.. Vince Cater for a stacked Injured Reserve List, Rafer as our starting point guard and "Hoffa" as our answer to the "big" problem. I believe this year we shouldn't be drafting out of need we need to draft the best available at that pick. Good players are not just good for the team but they are also trade bait.. If we draft another bust we will be picking in the lottery for years to come.

    Vince Lombardi has left a huge mark on the world of sports. He has said some of the most inspirational words to those in professional sports so I chose his words to complement my article today.
    "In great attempts, it is glorious even to fail." - Vince Lombardi