Are you ready for some football?!!

(NOTE TO MY READERS: I will be blogging for a little while at my new site. sign-up is free or you can just click HERE to read my blog. I will be blogging here with more in-depth stuff but join fanpage and you can connect with fans from around the world and have your own blog and find other bloggers there.)

"I'll watch the highlights every now and then but, as far as watching the game, I feel like I am the game" - Terrell Owens

Kickoff is T minus 6 hours and thanks to an exploding appendix we are about to be subjected to watching the 2007 NFL season kick off with Charlie Batch (who??!!!) as the starting QB for the reigning Suberbowl champs.

I decided to make a list of top ten random things I am looking forward to for this upcomign season...

1. I can't wait for Donovan McNabb to burn the Cowboys but this time with Terrell Owens wearing the blue and white.
2. Reggie Bush confirming that the Texans are morons for passing up on him as the #1 pick
3. Matt Lienart staying out of Paris Hilton and going back to playing football ... he did give up some crazy guaranteed money by staying in school for that extra year
4. Can McNair revive his career or is he going the route of Steve Francis of the Knicks
5. Ben Rothelisburger staying out of the hospital long enough to play a few games this season
6. Chad Pennington is a bust... now lets see if he can prove me wrong!
7. Can't wait to see the ruckus after the inevitable sideline confrontation between Parcels and Terrell Owens
8. Miami is actually a good team... Culpepper needed this lets see if he can turn it around...
9. I will miss MNF on ABC... Look forward to seeing the chemistry with the new guys in the booth
10. Is Washington ever going to be as good as they look on paper??

.... All this said... I must just sleep so tomorrow can come sooner and i can burn my Owens jersey as a tribute to the start of the new season!

Fiba Fever

TEAM USA: Mission = Incomplete!!!

Turns out I was right about only 1 thing... Spain would get a medal.

Team USA with a young team of All-Stars just wasn't prepared for the Greek team who had never beaten them in previous tournaments. I understand that this was a warm up to see how they fared against the rest of the world and did not matter as much as the Olympics but it was clear that the rest of the world has caught up. Lebron James and Dwayne Wade are very talented but the issue was not talent it was working within the way the international game flows. USA showed a lack of energy gettin down the floor many times and were terrible when it came to rotations and help defence. 3rd place is better than 6th but coach K has a lot of work ahead of him hopefully for the Olypics he will have the likes of Amare, Kobe and gang to work with.

Spain on the other hand dominated throughout the tournament and were clearly more comfortable in the environment and with the style of play. They managed to capture Gold with their star player cheering from the bench. As a Toronto Raptors fan this tournament was a thrill in terms of the Spanish team as 2 raptors represented and played a significant role. I hope they use this to motivate them for the NBA season. They won amongst the best now its time to show it on a nightly basis for 82 games.

Out with the old... In with the new

Gone are the days of dominance. After a bronze medal performance at the 2004 Olympics and a 6th place finish at the last World Championships, USA Basketball took a new approach to putting together the dream team of the future. They targeted youth and athleticism and above all players who can make a long term commitment to the team and are hungry to win. With the youth on board they brought on Coach K, one of the best in the business and he brings with him a ton of experience dealing with young gifted athletes.This is a test


At first glance the roster is hardly overwhelming as its not a team full of superstars but more a balance of role players and defensive specialist to complement the superstars. One third of the roster is made up of players from the class of 2003 (probably one of the best draft classes in the history of the NBA) and the average age is closer to 20 than it is to 30 for this men's senior team but if they learnt anything in the past is that the game is played different and this team was put together with that in mind. The players representing the USA are the best suited to the international game in the opinion of the mastermind behind this program Jerry Colangelo. The team is on their way to China to begin this quest for gold and it will be about a month until they can prove that they are once again the best in the world.



Living in Canada isn't very conducive to getting basketball coverage on television but with the help of TVUplayer I was able to watch the exhibition game between USA and Puerto Rico.

Observations after a first look at team USA...

The Average age of the starting 5 of Melo, Wade, Bosh, Lebron and Chris Paul is about 22... Wow!

Carmelo Anthony looks like a man on a mission and from every interview he seems to be the guy most of the coaching staff was surprised by. He was on the last team that captured bronze and received a ton of negative press in the aftermath of the Olympics. He is lookin' for redemption and looked like the most game ready player on the court yesterday.

Dwayne Wade is going to be the most unstoppable player on this team as he looked to be in playoff mode still. Wade is matured a ton after this years playoffs and it showed in his game on this night

Chris Paul is a Star! He is going to be the man that gets everyone going and he is the right guy for the job as his speed will be an asset during the tournament.

The team seemed to have a logjam at the guard position so when the roster is trimmed to 12 I expect only one player from the group of Joe Johnson, Bruce Bowen and Hinrich to survive.

Lebron James shot was flat and he was outshone the whole time by Melo and wade.

Carlos Arroyo looks like the next coming of Allen Iverson when playing for his country... I wonder if this Arroyo will ever show up in the NBA

Shane Battier looks like a dad amongst this team but his veteran presence will be welcomed. He brings something different to the game and was effective off the bench

Dwight Howard may be just 20 years old but he is a beast and opponents are going to have a tough time keeping him out of the paint. Also, he can be effective with pulling rebounds off the rim and stuffing them down without worrying about basket interference.

Brad Miller hit some shots but he really didn't look like he fit in well to the style. He seemed to be moving at a slower pace down the court and in the future his roster spot will probably go to Amare.

The team started out looking a little mechanical and were trying to get the perfect shot but after the half they made the adjustments and came out flying

The players effectively implemented college style full court pressure and that created turnovers and steals and at the same time they made good adjustments to the constant zone defence they faced.

Joe Johnson had a good shooting night and him along with Elton Brand were effectively hitting the mid-range jumpers

Gilbert Arenas and Chris Bosh looked a bit over anxious to start but that can be said of a lot of the players as the team got off to a slow start with a lot of turnovers and fouls as they were forcing the issue

3 Pointers didn't fall as easily as I had expected but this needs to be a weapon that the team can use often during the tournament

Random Notes

After the first half I had to turn the game on mute as the sound of Bill Walton's voice was giving me a headache...

Pat Riley was in attendance and he looked burnt to a crisp! I think he might have fallen asleep in the tanning bed or sumthin...

10 minute quarters are going to take a little time adjusting to...

This concept of pulling rebounds right off the rim after a missed free throw is crazy...

Seeing Coach K. pacing the sidelines and talking to Battier and Brand during timeouts is surreal...

The "IF" factor: An early look at the MLB pennant race

The "IF" factor post I did for the NBA playoffs was received well by you guys so I decided to go with the same format to break down the playoff race in the MLB. This time with a little more truth and a little less humour but before I get down to business it must be said that I have separated the pretenders from the contenders and bottom line is...

"IF" baseball allowed 30 teams into the playoffs then I would be talking about the following teams: Kansas City Royals, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Florida Marlins, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, Miwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, Arizona D'Backs

Now lets break it down...

American League East
"IF" Big Papi slows down on the big pimpin'
"IF" Jonathan Papelbon keeps the Mohawk for the season
... then the Boston Red Sox will win the AL East

"IF" A-Rod can concentrate on baseball rather than writing bedtime stories
"IF" Bobby Abreu and Corey Lidle can make up for the loss of the entire outfield
... then the New York Yankees will win the AL East

"IF" The Jays actually go 1 month with the same pitching rotation
"IF" The Yankees and Red Sox beat up on each other in September
... then the Toronto Blue Jays have a chance to win the AL East

American League Central
"IF" the rookie pitchers can hold down fort for the next two months
... the the Detroit Tigers will win the AL Central

"IF" Ozzie Guillen stops taking the spotlight away from the team
...then the Chicago White Sox will win the AL Central

"IF" the team keeps beating up their division
... then the Minnesota Twins will win the AL Central

American League West
"IF" Barry Zito is still in Green come September
... then the Oakland Athletics will win the AL West

"IF" they revert back to being the "Anaheim Angels"
... then the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will win the AL West

"IF" they decide to play like they can and go on a mini run
... then the Texas Rangers will win the AL West

"IF" Kenji Johjima can find an easier way to communicate with his pitchers
... then the Seattle Mariners will win the AL West

National League East"IF" the earth keeps revolving
... then the New York Mets will win the NL East

National League Central
"IF" they can get help in the outfield or at the mound
"IF" Busch Stadium can avoid further natural disasters
... then the St Louis Cardinals will win the NL Central

"IF" Ken Griffey Jr. can get his mojo back
"IF" Elizardo Ramirez is still making headlines in September
... the the Cincinnati Reds have a chance to win the NL Central

National League West
"IF" they can get Mike Piazza to show them how to go on a win streak
... then the San Diego Padres will win the NL West

"IF" Bary Bonds is vindicated
... then the San Francisco Giants will win the NL West

"IF" they keep up this "revival" approach for the rest of the season
... then the Colorado Rockies might win the NL West

"IF" Jered Weaver can keep up this record breaking pace of wins/starts
... then the Los Angeles Dodgers will win the NL West

The grass is greener across the pond

I went on record saying Italy and Portugal were my two favourites going into the World Cup. As the tournament went on I was told to chose 1 by my friends so I went with Portugal but silently cheered for Italy as well. When Italy won their game I began dreaming about having my two favourite teams in the finals but that's all it was a dream. Zizou broke my heart as he converted on a penalty kick against Portugal in the first half of the semi-final game. Setting up a Italy v/s France final and this would mark the end of a few international careers. Zidane, DelPiero have decided to make this their last appearance on the world stage and things were set up for an exciting final.

Exciting it was, as Zidane once again converted on a penalty kick early in the 1st half (questionable call... in my opinion) France was leading but it wasn't long before a brilliant free kick was converted into a goal as Materazzi's header found the back of the net halfway through the 1st half. The next hour was more of a defensive battle with both teams only getting a handful of chances but the two heroes of the day were not done. With just minutes left in extra time, Zidane was involved in some words with Italy's goal scorer and it is not yet known what was said but we do know that this caused the "header heard around the world". Out of nowhere he turned around to ram his head into the chest of the Italian player like a raging bull. This might be expected from an emotional Italian player but not from Zidane who has always displayed a level of poise on the field. On this afternoon Materazzi obviously got under his skin which led to an early exit from the game and a sad way to end his International career. The game went on to be decided by penalty kicks and the Italians emerged victorious (to my delight)

After all that went down Zidane was awarded the "Golden Ball" as the player of the tournament which I felt should have gone to the Italian goalkeeper Bouffon. Overall the World Cup was as exciting as always and it was noted by me that the competition was very balanced creating for some major upsets in the earlier rounds as the Czech's went home before making it to the elimination rounds. Germany did a good job hosting the event and on a personal note I was glad I didn't have to listen to the coverage and broadcasting work done by ESPN. I do love the sport but after a whole month of watching soccer everyday I still cannot say that I will turn my TV on to GOLTV during the next 4 years and start following a league or team. So Until 2010 when I will hopefully make it to South Africa this is the last of the soccer talk on here.

Another major tournament took place on the grass courts in England as Roger Federer defend his Wimbledon title for the 4th year running and Amelie Mauresmo emerged victorious on the women's side. Men's tennis hasn't been this exciting since the days of Boris Becker v/s Stefan Edberg and Sampras v/s Agassi. Federer v/s Nadal is becoming a staple as these two young'ns are on top of their game. Nadal won the French Open and has won most of his games against Federer but if the streak was going to be broken it was on grass where Federer remained king. Besides one or two hiccups along the way Federer controlled the game the entire time. Nadal is more exciting to watch as a sports fan as he wears his emotions on his sleeve but one cannot question Roger Federer's talent and determination. He was clearly the better player on this day and we can now look forward to the US Open.

Grading the NBA Draft MSN style with Nat, Lincoln and Zack

MSN convo between Nat, Lincoln and Zack as we break down the NBA draft.
(Sorry for the delay in this post... chalk it up to unexpected circumstances)

Nat: To set the tone for this, give me one word that comes to your mind when thinking of last night’s draft
Z.Cooper: HECTIC
Nat: I think my word is clear … PORTLAND!!
Z.Cooper: yeah... Portland led to the draft being Hectic
*silence* (Lincoln is still number crunching the ways the Raptors could have and should have drafted Rudy Gay!!)
Lincoln: DISSAPOINTMENT

Toronto Raptors: Andrea Bargnani, P.J Tucker
Nat: Toronto Raptors had the first pick in the draft was this a curse for the team this year?
Z.Cooper: I don't think it was a curse... I think anytime you get a first overall pick, it's a blessing...
Z.Cooper: it may not have been the most opportunistic season to get it... but first pick is first pick
Nat: I think this put the team with a back agaisnt the wall... When you see a couple of picks or even one you have a better gage of whats needed to get more than you hoped for
Lincoln: I saw this coming a mile away at the draft lottery ... the only way fate could pay us what was owed while still mocking us was the no. 1 this year
Z.Cooper: I think that's ridiculous... I mean, would you honestly prefer to pick 5th?
Lincoln: Interesting question... hmm.. it may have eliminated some of the conservatism around exploring trades
Lincoln: I think BC did a great job of creating confusion to control the situation
Z.Cooper: If anything... it got a lot of people looking, and talking to and about the Raptors...
Lincoln: I think he was so set on Bargnani, that he didn't want to risk losing him to Chicago or another team below them.
Nat: Do you think Bargnani will be a successful player in the league?
Z.Cooper: I certainly think Bargnani will succeed. I have the utmost faith that Bryan Colangelo knows what he's doing... and no one has scouted this guy more than him.
Lincoln: Question is can he play the 5? He's not a bust, but everyone is agreed, it's not just a question of his size, it's the way he plays. He's a strictly face the basket offensive player with bad D at this time. He has to develop a better defense and post game to put in the time at that centre spot.
Lincoln: The Raps should have found a way to get at another player in the draft. Gay obviously. But even a stab at a pick that could have been Ronnie Brewer or Rondo would have been worthwhile in my opinion.
Nat: In his post draft press conference Colangelo stated - "we were a really bad team last year, we could not draft by position we went BPA the whole way and we will work with that from here on"
Lincoln: I think that's the right attitude
Z.Cooper: final note... "positions" are overrated
Lincoln: I agree, but "skill-sets" don't lie

Grades: Nat (B) Lincoln (B-) Zack (B)

Chicago Bulls: Tyrus Thomas, Thabo Sefolosha
Nat: Chicago Bulls one of the better teams in this draft had a high pick… How would u say the draft worked out for them?
Nat: they were involved in a couple of swaps as they ended up with Tyrus Thomas and Thabo Sefolosha.
Z.Cooper: I'm not a huge fan of Chicago's moves. I'd rather have Aldridge in Chicago, than Tyrus
Lincoln: all along Chicago's need has been universally recognized as needed to add a big-time vet to complete the puzzle, or at least a PF with a solid post game on offense
Z.Cooper: I mean... LaMarcus' skills are much more suited to partner with a defensive-minded center... than pitting TT next to Chandler. I do like Thabo, though...
Nat: I just don’t see how they went with upside when there was a scoring PF available who could be Bosh-like in this draft
Lincoln: I wonder if this doesn't signal the end of Chandler though
Z.Cooper: Chandler is expendable. His defense is nice, but his health is unreliable...
Nat: I think Tyrus is actually going to be pretty much one of the bigger disappointments in the first year or so…but might work out in the long run
Nat: Scott Skiles is a very tough coach and but I think they messed up here not taking Aldridge 'cuz Tyson can swat them like TT but he isn’t getting 20 points anytime soon

Grades: Nat (B-) Lincoln (B) Zack (C)

Charlotte Bobcats: Adam Morrison, Ryan Hollins
Nat: Michael Jordan had one pick in this draft for the Bobcats at #3 and he did it with a bang – Adam Morrison (or so the marketing guys say)
Z.Cooper: I think Morrison's a safe bet for the Bobcats, a proven guy, who can hit any shot he takes... a winner who will fight until the tears come streaming down...
Z.Cooper: and with a healthy Okafor, might get away with some serious defensive deficiencies
Lincoln: Ammo on the Bobcats. A few things 1) this has to have been partially motivated by a desire to sell tickets; 2) they did need scoring, and that's the one and only thing Morrison can do (we'll have to see how well at this level); 3) does anyone think taking Ammo with his competitive streak was overcompensation on MJ's part for Kwame and his lack of a pulse
Nat: Ammo is a box office guy who has a passion for the game that he displayed on a National stage and I think that they have some good tools… Meka, G Wallace and Raymond Felton (who was great for the 2nd half of the season) I think this was a great pick for them

Grades: Nat (A-) Lincoln (B) Zack (A-)

Portland Trailblazers: LaMarcus Aldridge, Brandon Roy, Sergio Rodriguez, Joel Freeland
Nat: This deserves a WTF! This wasn’t the NBA draft it was the "Portland Robbery"
Z.Cooper: I felt like they took an initial step back, with the trading of my boy, Telfair before things got going... but saved face with the Aldridge steal
Z.Cooper: I love how they snaked out Brandon Roy...
Lincoln: That was clever. Roy was headed to Houston until they intercepted the trade and killed the plans
Z.Cooper: and along with the drafting of Spanish Chocolate, and Boy English (Freeland)... how they FLEECED the Pacers for a PAIR of 2nd rounders, for James White (no doubt, a talent)
Lincoln: If I was Portland I still would have taken Gay over Roy, but you can't give this team any less than an A for that draft
Nat: yes whoever was at the helm in the war room needs to be the next GM!
Lincoln: I have a feeling this may be the last time those two are ever mentioned in the same sentence again
Z.Cooper: Roy and Gay?
Lincoln: Yeah, I don't see greatness in Roy… I see solidness
Lincoln: whereas with Gay his worst case scenario is really Iguodala.
Z.Cooper: I agree with that and yes, in a few years back... they might regret the decision
Nat: Longevity and an all-around game. I still see Brandon Roy being one of the best players in the 2006 draft
Nat: Everyone is banking on Rudy Gay's unlimited ceiling but for now Roy was the better pick for Portland IMO.
Z.Cooper: I see Roy being up for... ROY...
Nat: We could probably chat for an hour about this teams transactions but I think they got a bit fleeced in the Aldridge deal…they gave up a pick and Khryapa for a guy who was going to be there at #4 anyways
Z.Cooper: I thought Chicago got fleeced and that deal ... I like Aldridge more than TT... and I think Khryapa is expendable
Nat: My point was Chicago wanted TT the whole time and Portland gets a higher salary to pay now (albeit not by much) for a guy who they could have gotten at #4 without moving anyone
Lincoln: Khryapa is nice… that may look a little worse in the future, but I don't think anyone will lose sleep over it anytime soon.

Grades: Nat (A) Lincoln (A) Zack (A+)

Atlanta Hawks: Shelden Williams, Solomon Jones
Nat: Wow Atlanta!
Z.Cooper: WHY???
Lincoln: Next!
Nat: again they passed up on guards and went with a 6'8 guy!!!
Z.Cooper: Why oh why do you promise a guy 5... When he could drop to like 15?
Z.Cooper: I like Sheldon Williams...but 5th???
Nat: good thing he can block shots with that massive forehead
Nat: word on the street was they never even worked him out!! They could have traded down got a vet and still had him at #11 or so
Lincoln: Alright. Here's where the cynical side of me just think Bill Knight realized Belkin's gonna own this team soon and fire him anyway - so why not just scorch the earth as an act of advance revenge.
Lincoln: Then I remember that this is the same idiot who passed on Chris Paul, and he's perfectly capable of doing something this dumb with no ulterior motive whatsoever.
Z.Cooper: I think that's the more probable, Linc
Z.Cooper: they're just dazed and confused in Georgia
Z.Cooper: there's something to be said about drafting for position... but I’m pretty sure that revolves around NEED, not duplication
Lincoln: I bet Knight is on the phone right now with Babcock..."so how did you handle the backlash?"
Nat says: for the sake of not having to talk about the Hawks anymore lets just grade them and move on…

Grades: Nat (D) Lincoln (D) Zack (C-)

Minnesota Timberwolves: Randy Foye, Craig Smith
Nat: Let's talk about Kevin McHale and how Rob Babcock is back in a front office position making draft decisions…
Z.Cooper: I don't see how anyone would let Babcock into a draft war room ever again
Nat: Minnesota traded Roy and took Randy Foye from Portland and it’s suffice to say that means Marcus Banks isn’t coming back
Z.Cooper: I think Roy would have been better suited next to KG than Foye. Randy's defense is great... but they need someone who can shoot
Nat: I don’t think KG has much time left on this team… its just not working
Nat: They are stuck in salary cap hell and don’t have the flexibility to put half decent players around him.

Grades: Nat (C+) Lincoln (C-) Zack (C)

Boston Celtics: Rajon Rondo, Leon Powe
Nat: On to Boston… Danny Ainge was busy
Lincoln: Ainge. What a tool.
Nat: He basically got 2 Point guards in this draft
Z.Cooper: you're thinking he should get back to baseball?
Lincoln: He's just spinning wheels in the mud right now. I don't think he has a plan. I don't think he's ever had a plan. I think he kinda wings it and more or less fails.
Z.Cooper: well, again... going back to Telfair... I think if anyone can get the ball to PP... It’s Bassy...
Lincoln: Telfair might benefit from a change of scenery, as he wasn't gonna work out in Portland's mess.
Nat: Rajon Rondo will be better than Telfair in Boston I think though
Nat: I am of the thought that he is stock piling the pieces he wants Allen Iverson in Boston more than any other team wants AI
Lincoln: A combination of Iverson and Pierce. Wow how terrible is that? I can't wait for the inevitable Bill Simmons rant if that comes to fruition.
Lincoln: The Telfair-Rondo combo sounds to me like a bad construction
Z.Cooper: Telfair/Rondo might not be so hot, because neither of them has a reliable jumper... but the speed will be a bonus... and they're both gifted passers, so...
Nat: as long as they get PP the ball they should be fine
Lincoln: sort of like he's throwing out prospects in the hopes one works out, because if both played together the opposing defense would just descend on Boston
Lincoln: Boston has its foot in two doors and needs to make up their mind.

Grades: Nat (B-) Lincoln (C+) Zack (C)

Houston Rockets: ?, Steve Novak, Eliyahu
Nat: Now for Lincoln’s boy. The rockets got Rudy gay and Steve Novak in this draft
Z.Cooper: I really don't see why the Rockets would do this… trading Gay away
Z.Cooper: how deadly would it be for T-Mac and Gay to be on the court at the same time?
Nat: I think the rockets are stupid to give this guy away for an aging Shane Battier. Last season the rockets would go 4 minutes at a time without scoring when Yao and Tracy were out
Nat: they need Gay more than they need a “Jeff Van Gundy guy” right now in Battier
Z.Cooper: I like Battier... but I’d rather have a 2-way player like Gay
Lincoln: Battier vs. Gay reminds me a debate we had a few minutes ago with Roy. Again, "solidness". Why take solidness over Gay?
Lincoln: and frankly speaking T-Mac's back is not a sure thing. Who knows if he is ever able to offer a stable enough contribution for the Rockets to go as far as they'd like.
Z.Cooper: they need to get rid of JVG and T-Mac needs himself some surgery
Lincoln: Gay could have helped them right now, and would have been a fall-back if T-Mac doesn't work out
Lincoln: I just see no need to dump Gay for a role player
Z.Cooper: exactly!!

Grades: Nat (D+) Lincoln (D) Zack (C-)

Golden State Wrriors: Patrick O'Bryant
Nat: Golden State went with the guy we all kinda saw them going with, Patrick O'Bryant and I think its fair to say he is a "project" at this point
Z.Cooper: A center like O’Bryant should do them well... but I don't think it will save the Warriors
Lincoln: Yeah they were either gonna grab a SF to replace Dunleavy or go big by default but in the big picture this does nothing for the Warriors
Z.Cooper: they're in a tough spot... looking at a 13th straight season with no playoffs
Lincoln: they are just directionless. Stockpiling mediocre pieces until they have to hand them inflated contracts.
Nat: this team teases their fans at the end of each season showing hope and comes back looking out of shape
Z.Cooper: get Mullin out of there, before he makes Hardaway the new coach
Nat: they have a lot of good young pieces I don’t think that they are utilizing them properly
Lincoln: they're building the ultimate bench
Z.Cooper: J-Rich is the one positive in GSW... that's why they need to trade him for something else
Nat: right now they need a PG who can stay healthy and play within a system

Grades: Nat (B-) Lincoln (D) Zack (B-)

Seattle Supersonics: Saer Sene, Denham Brown
Nat: fun fun!! We get to talk about Seattle who seems to pick the same player year after year for the past 3 running!
Z.Cooper: Seattle now has like 10 centers that all do the same
Nat: Saer Sene a 7 foot beast but I think it was more the 7 foot beast than the player that got him picked so high and the success of Dsagana Diop
Lincoln: yeah, this was a pointless pick
Z.Cooper: Senegal is the breeding grounds of feisty shot-blockers ...that don't do much else
Nat: Seattle had one of the worst drafts from how I see it
Lincoln: Seattle needs to decide what it's doing as well. Rebuild? or move forward?
Z.Cooper: Seattle needs some more 'fan-favorite' types... otherwise, they'll be moving to Vegas
Lincoln: they had the worst defense in the league (according to Hollinger, ever)
Lincoln: so who knows if this helps. We’d have to see more than shot blocking, but overall defensive smarts before saying…
Z.Cooper: when blocks miss... they turn to fouls...
Nat: Seattle right now basically had a top 10 pick and put themselves in a worse of situation.
Z.Cooper: they're going for Oden
Nat: I can see the tanking already!!

Grades: Nat (D) Lincoln (C) Zack (D+)

Orlando Magic: J.J.Redick, James Augustine
Nat: Orlando went with a guy who managed to get a broke-back and a DUI under his belt within one month of the draft…
Z.Cooper: JJ... oh dear...
Nat: but we cant forget he is the leading scorer in ACC history
Z.Cooper: I want to love the Magic so bad… Jameer... Darko... Dwight... now JJ???
Z.Cooper: they could have passed, and taken a playoff seed
Lincoln: Orlando. Sigh.
Lincoln: All they had to do was take Brewer and grab a play-off seed next year
Nat: I agree Brewer would have been the best guy for them
Lincoln: but JJ? Bad enough on his own. But as a back court with Jameer?
Lincoln: That backcourt is gonna get annihilated on D
Nat: they might contend for tallest frontcourt and shortest backcourt in the league
Z.Cooper: for some reason... JJ is like my equivalent to Antoine Walker…not game-wise...but the way I perceive them
Z.Cooper: just... straight... dislike...

Grades: Nat (C+) Lincoln (D+) Zack (C-)

NO/Oaklahoma City Hornets: Hilton Armstrong, Cedric Simmons
Nat: Anyways the Hornets took Hilton Armstrong
Z.Cooper: nice grab.... nothing special. anyone out of UConn will give you something good
Nat: safe pick for the Hornets
Lincoln: I am not sold. Not even sure how safe it was but they wanted size, so sure why not.
Z.Cooper: Hilton's got game... although he plays smaller than his 6'11" frame
Nat: I think they could have gone with size or a shooter
Nat: I guess they went with the theory "when all else fails draft big"
Lincoln: remember Brewer is still on the board at this point.
Lincoln: and while I can understand the nervousness around passing up on size in the hopes it's there later
Z.Cooper: with David West... I don't know if Hilton can contribute much. I don't think he's big enough to play the 5
Lincoln: I'm pretty sure Brewer was the obvious BPA at that stage. And with JR Smith on the outs... they need that spot covered.
Lincoln: I think they hope they got Shelden “lite” in Cedric Simmons
Lincoln: they're just stocking up the front hoping something works out

Grades: Nat (C) Lincoln (C-) Zack (C+)

Philadelphia 76'ers: Rodney Carney, Bobby Jones
Nat: Philly picked Iggy part 2 in Rodney Carney
Z.Cooper: well, I think Sefalosha was closer to Iggy part 2 and they could have wrecked havoc with both of those
Z.Cooper: Carney's good... but I don't think he helps improve the product in Philly too much
Nat: they took 2 forwards in round 2 as well and traded for most of these picks
Z.Cooper: yah... again... it seems King needs to be dethroned
Nat: and with Marcus Williams and Rondo still on the board I don’t know what they are thinking
Lincoln: I think Philly's in limbo until they get past the Iverson era so it's hard to say what their needs are or will be
Nat: I think King needs to move Iverson and rebuild
Z.Cooper: Philly looks good on paper... just not on hardwood
Z.Cooper: should have kept Sefalosha… no one would have been able to get into their lane

Grades: Nat (C) Lincoln (B-) Zack (C-)

Utah Jazz: Ronnie Brewer, Dee Brown
Nat: Utah… Ok... Jerry Sloan has Ronnie Brewer he loves pure shooters wanted JJ ... good fit here?
Z.Cooper: and Hoffa!!!
Lincoln: If Ronnie Brewer is smart he takes Sloan out to a tractor pull this summer just to get in his good graces
Z.Cooper: Brewer's a smart player... but if he has a bad first impression on the court, it's tough to get out of Sloan's doghouse
Nat: from everything we hear and know… it sucks to be a rookie under Sloan
Z.Cooper: I remember asking Sloan about Robert Whaley in the pre-season... and he wasn't shy about ripping the guy
Nat: I hope Ronnie comes focused because Sloan is Old Skool and if u in the doghouse u might never come out till u on the flight to the team they traded you to
Nat: I still wonder how milt survived it with his extreme layups
Lincoln: Speaking of which, at what point is Sloan becoming a hindrance to that team?
Z.Cooper: when Larry Miller leaves… they've got a front-office love fest in Utah
Nat: they need a changing of the guard in the worst way
Lincoln: Every draft is Utah walking on eggshells about both Sloan's preferences and whether or not a player will just leave at the first chance they get since, well, it's Utah
Z.Cooper: yeah, because Sloan only begrudgingly plays rooks and he doesn't have much else
Nat: Ronnie Brewer didn’t look too happy to be going there but its cool that Dee Brown will be back playing besides Deron Williams...
Z.Cooper: who would be? Mormons and mountains
Lincoln: Isn't wonder bread the official state food or something?

Grades: Nat (B) Lincoln (A) Zack (B-)

Indiana Pacers: Shawne Willaims, James White
Nat: The Pacers quietly had a pretty good draft but I think that Shawne Williams is another Danny Granger type and then they traded for James White as well
Z.Cooper: ...and James White type
Lincoln: Granger's a 3/4
Nat: It was clear they have a huge need at PG and its because Jamal Tinsley is money thrown in the toilet
Lincoln: Big off-season for the Pacers we'll see where they're going with this, but I would have taken a point if I were them
Z.Cooper: yeah, they'll be coming back looking quite different. I would have taken Farmar... or... the man who shall remain unmentioned until NJ comes up
Nat: they are a half court team though
Lincoln: Well Rondo would have been a bad fit in Indiana if they are keeping Carlisle, yes half-court exactly
Z.Cooper: they've got more athleticism/less scoring than the Hawks it seems, in their plethora of SF's
Z.Cooper: I'm surprised Carlisle's still around... with Bird's 3-year lease on coaches

Grades: Nat (C) Lincoln (C-) Zack (C-)

Washington Wizards: some Uke!
Nat: Wizards pulled one outta their a$ last night - Oleksiy Pecherov
Z.Cooper: I know nothing of this Ukrainian the Wiz grabbed
Nat: I don’t think any Wizards fan had even heard of the guy it was on the lines of the ISIAH pick
Lincoln: yeah, who knows.. next!

Grades: ?????

Sacramento Kings: Quincy Douby
Z.Cooper: QUINCY DOUBY!
Nat: DOOOOOOOBBBBIIIIIEEEE!!!
Nat: how many kids are gonna wanna get his jersey v/s Rudy gay!
Nat: seriously though a good pick for them this point in the draft
Z.Cooper: I think that was a GREAT pick for the Kings
Z.Cooper: Bibby and Douby... come on now.. how much punch is that?
Z.Cooper: drive and kick, drive and kick... pop the 3
Nat: soon they are going to have to address the frontcourt for the long term

Grades: Nat (A) Lincoln (A) Zack (A)

New York Knicks: Ronaldo Balkman!!!
Z.Cooper: Knicks = F!!!!!
Z.Cooper: what a frikkin mess
Lincoln: you beat me to it… maybe a D- till we see
Lincoln: Isiah has earned at least some benefit of the doubt on talent evaluation, but I gotta say, this looks horrible
Nat: ISIAH = F
Nat: you could build about 4 NBA teams with that payroll but they will be lucky to get 30 wins this year again
Lincoln: roster construction he's psycho
Z.Cooper: ...what a mess...
Z.Cooper: I just think it's ridiculous how a team can be run down like the Knicks are...
Z.Cooper: such a storied team... dealing with such humility
Nat: The Mecca of basketball is now the Retirement home for Max contracts
Z.Cooper: multiple F's, and a middle finger, to boot

Grades: Nat (F) Lincoln (D-) Zack (F)

Phoenix Suns: ???
Z.Cooper: Alright... so the Suns... nice pick, maybe should have kept it?
Nat: Suns pretty much traded all the way out of this years draft trying to keep cap room to re-sign their guys
Lincoln: yeah they should'a kept it
Z.Cooper: I’m hearing more rumours of Leandro getting moved, too
Nat: they could use a real pg to work with Nash and move the Brazilian bullet or keep him as a SG
Lincoln: this is the start of Sarver's penny pinching?
Nat: I'm thinking you are right.. it is well known he will not in anyway go over the luxury tax threshold
Nat: they like bell and Diaw and right now Barbosa is on the borderline

Grades: Nat (C-) Lincoln (F) Zack (D)

New Jersey Nets: Marcus Williams, Josh Boone
Nat: New Jersey got the best steals in the first round!!!
Z.Cooper: MARCUS WILLIAMS!!! I can not BELIEVE he dropped this far
Nat: 2guys who played together both fit their needs… these picks fell into their lap!!!
Nat: Marcus is going to play like Charlie V did!! a man possessed ‘cuz he dropped so low
Lincoln: NJ. Marcus Williams. I think there's a reason he fell this far. I'm not a big fan/ But if can come in and play effective back-up to J-Kidd. Great move. Great fit.
Z.Cooper: now he gets to play behind one of the best PG's in the history of the league, passing to 2 of the best finishers today.
Z.Cooper: he has the potential to put up some SERIOUS assist numbers on that team
Nat: to me he was the best PG in the draft and everyone who didn’t pick him and needed a pg will be kicking themselves
Nat: Josh Boone is a good banger type guy who will work well with Kristic I think

Grades: Nat (A) Lincoln (A) Zack (A+)

NotableS:
- Jerry west is a genius nabbing Lowry late in the 1st round and straight up raping the rockets and getting Rudy Gay. This team needed help on the offensive end in the biggest way and this draft may have solved a lot of their problems.
- The Lakers got a homegrown product in Jordan Farmar. His stock rose and fell like the NASDAQ but in the end I think he is now in a situation he will flourish in as long as the hometown pressure is not going to get to him
- Dallas got a steal in a MSU player… Ager will be a nice addition to an already solid team with a good mix of youth and vets.

NBA DRAFT - What was that??!!??

The Italian Stallion has officially arrived!! (He needs a better fitting hat though)Besides the first pick in the draft, no one saw this coming!!! Not in the way it went down for sure... As on draft night there were 15 transactions made. (Portland had a hand in about half of them) People knew this was a weak draft but it was the most active draft in recent memory. Players were given caps of teams they were never going to play for and it happened early and often. There were so many smoke screens thrown up before this draft that I think a lot of the trades didn't need to happen to get the player you wanted. But tonight was all about Portland and how many teams they can tango with...

To give an idea as to what went down at Madison Square Garden tonight I will just say this...

Portland ended up with 4 FIRST round draft picks in Lamarcus Aldrdige, Brandon Roy, Joel Freeland, Sergio Rodriguez. They also got 3 future 2nd round picks, along with Dan Dickau and Raef LaFrentz... (might take a minute to wrap your head around that one as they did all this without a GM in place!)

Not a guy who I would normally quote but it must be said... On his blog Chuck Swirsky said this "Portland buys a first round pick in Sergio Rodriguez....how young are these guys? On their charter flight they're going to serve Happy Meals."

- Toronto was probably a lot more conservative in this draft than many might have thought (or hoped for).
- Philadelphia drafted not 1 but 2 clones of Andre Iguodala (Rodney Carney and Bobby Jones).
- Rudy Gay went slipping and sliding and word is he is going to Memphis but for now he is a member of the Houston Rockets at #8. (His reactions as he watched himself spiral down the board made for good TV though)
- Boston had a very strong Draft as did Chicago in a way even though I still don't agree on the Tyrus pick.
- Isah Thomas is trying to ensure that the Knicks are out of the NBA before his 1 year is up. He reached so far with a guy in the first round who probably could have been had as a free agent!!! I can't even imagine how the guys over at Sell the Knicks are feeling.
- Big up to Denham Brown for getting drafted by the Sonics ... He had a good camp in Orlando and deserved to be drafted.
- What on earth was Golden State thinking picking a player they drafted 4 times over in the last few drafts. Not knocking Saer Sene but do they not have Petro and Diagu and all them bigs... *sigh*

I think there is too much to say and I want to save it because the blog coming tomorrow is going to be action packed as I get a few people (with pretty strong opinions) to help me break down the draft and our reactions.

Blogging the NBA Draft must reads:
Breaking down the ESPN crew's comments during the draft - Awful Announcing
Scott over at Raptorblog did his own live blogging with some gems - Raptorblog
Most comprehensive site for anything to do with the '06 NBA Draft with a live blog - True Hoop

Draft Week : Looking for answers in the Fountain of Youth

One down... One to go.

Honestly with the draft class in the NBA this year one could come up with a different mock draft for every day from the end of the NCAA tourny all the way to a couple hours before the draft. All the talks leading up to the draft have involved players from Allen Iverson to Luther Head to Ray Allen and inevitably most of this will not happen. We are 2 hours from the draft and there is still no consensus #1 ...That's just how crazy it's been!!
I have been trying to do this version 2.0 for a week now but both Lincoln and I had a different list pretty much every hour to the point we just went with a gut feeling in the end. This is a follow-up from the first mock we did a couple of weeks ago.
I hope to be back tomorrow with Lincoln and another guest Zack Cooper for a post draft analysis blog. So until then here goes...

My last shot at a mock draft...
1. Andrea Bargnani
2. LaMarcus Aldridge
3. Rudy Gay
4. Adam Morrison
5. Tyrus Thomas
6. Brandon Roy
7. Marcus Williams
8. Randy Foye
9. Patrick O'Bryant
10. Shelden Willams

Lincoln made some adjustments...
1. Andrea Bargnani
2. Tyrus Thomas
3. Rudy Gay
4. LaMarcus Aldridge
5. Brandon Roy (Sent to Houston)
6. Adam Morrison
7. Cedric Simmons
8. Shelden Williams (sent to Atlanta with Luther Head)
9. Randy Foye
10. Partrick O'Bryant

=============================================
NHL DRAFT: A quick roundup

The NBA Draft is on Today but the NHL draft took place over the past weekend and went ahead without much hype. Living in Canada I have come to expect most media outlets heavily covering the NHL but in the case of the draft there wasn't much thunder as the grueling 8 rounds took place in Vancouver this past Saturday. The NHL draft is unique that all the GM's are in one place and the setup is very interactive as you can watch whets going on leading up to each selection and the draft was full of trades and swaps for positioning.

There was a lot of talk during the NHL playoffs about the lack of interest for the sport from our neighbors down south but this draft points the trend going in the other direction. 10 players drafted in the first round are from the Unites States and that takes into account Erik Johnson who was drafted #1 overall by the St.Louis Blues. There was no Sidney Crosby type player in this draft and so maybe that was the reason not much was said pre-draft but it is definitely something to note the changing trend of where the top players are coming from and that the American grass roots systems are stronger and are producing some great hockey players.

Ahh...I cant focus on hockey when all I can think of is LaMarcus Aldridge?? Rudy Gay??
I need this draft to happen already before I start losing my mind...

NBA: "Where there's a will there's a WADE"

"Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them-a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill"- Muhammad Ali

Promises are meant to be kept: 2006 NBA Champions - "Miami Heat"

Two teams that were built for the playoffs but the paths taken to build these teams completely different.

The Dallas Mavericks were assembled through the draft and strategic additions of key free agents to complement their lineup. There was a good balance of youth and veterans on this team. Newly appointed head coach Avery Johnson implemented a defensive coaching method and added this to the philosophies already in place set by the departed Don Nelson. Mark Cuban is part of the new breed of NBA owners who are more active in the daily happenings of the team and he has been their biggest fan as they have slowly put together a team that is going to compete for years to come.
Miami used more of the "Yankees" approach to building a championship team. Getting a player like Dwayne Wade through the draft and then just buying the rest of the players. When Pat Riley joined the Heat he made a promise to the fans and when Shaq came on board that promise was seconded by him. They vowed to bring the Cup to Miami and the rest just fell in place. It helps having Shaq on the roster as every player in the league wants a chance to play with the Diesel. With Shaq and Wade at the helm, the team was comprised of players who wanted a shot at winning a ring even if it meant having a reduced role on the team and/or receiving smaller paychecks. I don't see any kind of Dynasty happening here with the way this team was put together but stranger things have happened.

The NBA playoffs this year were an absolute thrill. Game 7's galore and the matchup in the Finals promised to build on an already historical playoffs. Game 6 came around and it was apparent... This was not the Shaquille O'Neil show, not the Dirk Nowitzki show it was the Dwayne wade show as he broke down defenses and moved around the court with such smoothness that it made believers of the non believers. Dallas had Miami with their back against the wall as they were less than a quarter away from going up 3-0 and then it all came crumbling. Dirk Nowitzki is a great player but he was not aggressive enough towards the end of games they way he showed he could be - a la game 7 against the Spurs. Dwayne Wade had a supporting cast with a ton of experience and when the pressure was on they came through - a la Gary Payton in game 3 and game 5. As Wade showed his fearless attitude and will to win through the series mumblings began around the NBA world that he may be the next coming of your "Airness" but Wade was humbled and just played on. Shaq played second fiddle but his presence is felt without him touching the ball and all this led to a historical collapse by the Dallas Mavericks. The Miami heat led by Dwayne Wade had brought the cup to Miami as they won their first NBA championship in franchise history.

There was a big mark (pun intended) put on the finals this year in regard to officiating but I am going to avoid blaming the outcome of this series on the Zebra's with the whistles. There is no love lost between outspoken owner of the Mavs, Mark Cuban and NBA commissioner David Stern. Cuban was fined repeatedly this playoffs (each time he matches a fine with a donation to charity) but it wasn't just him calling foul. I don't really want to get into this much as its been talked out on many websites and blogs... But I do hope this situation is fixed to some extent come next year and we can appreciate the game on the court rather than having the focus be on the Suits in their box seats.

I called this outcome in my Finals prediction (read)
Zack Cooper isn't too thrilled with the way the team was put together... (read)
Henry Abbott over at True Hoop live blogged game 6 (read)
The Coach looks at what lies ahead for the Heat players (read)


In the words of Dave Chappelle, "It's a celebration BITCHES!!" (Pat Riley = Instant TV Classic)

NHL : Stanley likes it south of the border

Carolina Hartford Hurricane Whalers = 2006 Stanley Cup Champions

A year ago the Stanley Cup was sitting in a box at the Hockey Hall of Fame homeless due to the NHL lockout. Then on Monday night a Cinderella story came to an end and one teams long time quest for the cup was realized. The Carolina Hurricanes became the first Stanley Cup champions in the post lockout era and to boot this is the first major sporting title the state has won. Raleigh, NC has always been associated with NASCAR and Basketball but for now its a hockey town. This Cup is not just for the fans in Carolina but those who stayed loyal to the team all through the times when they were the Hartford Whalers.

"Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character" - T. Alan Armstrong

An owner who believed, a coach who implemented a family feel to the team and made adjustments for the new style of play, a captain who had waited 17 years to reach this point, a young superstar who took the league by storm with his offense and a rookie goaltender got on the same page and brought to North Carolina one of the most prestegious trophies in professional sports. Not much was expected from the Hurricanes this season... but those who donned the jersey expected much from themselves and believed in this team. Backed by fans who are still new to the game, these players gave themselves the chance to reach the ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup.

Rod Brind'Amour waited 17 years, Glen Wesley waited 18, Bret Hedican and Dough Weight over a decade to have their dream realized but it was on the backs of a rookie goaltender that this feat was accomplished. Cam Ward, the first rookie since Patrick Roy to win the Stanley Cup, was also the MVP for the series and deservedly so. He made the big plays as the last line of defence behind a group of defenceman, none of whom were all-stars but as a team they came together. Eric Staal did what he could but it was the veterans who stepped up big in the series. Hockey is afterall a team sport and it took contributions from the entire Carolina Hurricane's team to get through the season and the playoffs and ultimately come out victorious in the all or nothing game 7.

- I had predicted Carolina in 5 ... Hey atleast I got the team right (link)
- Out of Left Field live blogged game 7 (link)
- Videos of the Hurricanes home game entrances (video 1 and video 2)
- A funny spin on the travels of the Stanley Cup (link)

GGGGoOoOoAaAaAaLLLLL!!!

I just had to put in that video 'cuz it features clips from one of the coolest soccer movies, "Shaolin Soccer"(If you haven't seen it add it to you must watch list NOW!). The song also happens to be on the official soundtrack for FIFA World Cup '06 which is the reason the world has come to a standstill and people everywhere are coming up with inventive ways to get out of going to work so they can cheer on their countries and consume an obscene amount of beer in the process.
"Football" to the rest of the world but "Soccer" to us in North America, is by far the most watched sport in the world and to give you an idea 153 million people watched the Euro Cup final 2 years ago while Superbowl that year drew 95 million. I essentially divide soccer fans into two groups, where group 1 is all the fans of the game who follow the game through many soccer leagues (La Liga, English Premiership, Italian League, MLS) year round and group 2 are all those fans who jump aboard during the World Cup. Soccer brings out patriotism like no other sport will ever manage to do and living in Toronto, (one of the most diverse cities in the world) I have had the opportunity to observe this fanatical behaviour displayed by Soccer fans from all parts of the world.
Before moving to North America, Soccer and Cricket were the only sports I was exposed to on television. My early memories of being a sports fan do not include Magic and Jordan in the NBA but rather Diego Maradona and Pele dancing down the soccer field. My entire family is obsessed with the game and even though I am not a soccer fan who falls into group 1 of my definition, come World Cup time my daily schedule is planned around the games and my living room now doubles as my bedroom.

Enough about the past... Lets fast forward to Germany 2006. First let me state that I am supporting two teams Italy and Portugal and I like any team that beats England. (Beckham may be super hot but he is waaaay overrated - sorry Arthur) The groups have been set up really well this time around and the level of competition up to now has been pretty even spare a few games. Its for certain no one could have predicted Ghana taking down the Czech's or that Poland would suck this bad. From my experience it is the nature of sports fans to root for the underdog and come Sunday I am sure the number of Ghana flags on cars will increase greatly. The "Soca Warriors" from Trinidad were a great story as well as they came in and managed to pull out a tie with Sweden but now that they have been eliminated I am sure those fans will jump on the Ghana bandwagon for now.
Looking ahead to the next round even though nothing is settled for groups D through H, teams to look out for are Brazil, Argentina, France and Portugal. I expect these 4 to go deep and thus far Argentina has shown the most offensive power in the tournament but Portugal is still warming up and Brazil is always going to be a favourite.
Speaking of... What on earth is going on with Ronaldo! He looks seriously out of shape and is close to being benched if he doesn't produce I think but as long as Brazil has Ronaldinho in green and gold they should see themselves in the semi-finals and anything less than that would be a complete upset.
There was a time back in the day when Italy was always the team to beat but since the last world cup they haven't made the adjustments. Their defense is not the same powerhouse it used to be and until they realize that 1 goal in the game is not going to cut it they are going to have a tough time making it deep into the tournament. Their coach has them relying on protecting the goal and playing defense rather than being aggressive and I don't think that approach is going to work against the likes of the French, English and the other frontrunners.
Ahh I was going to avoid mentioning the English team altogether but its hard to when talking Soccer. They were lucky last game getting a goal in the closing minutes and they have yet to show any dominance compared to teams like Argentina, Brazil, Italy and France who have a history of success in this game. I have always found this team to be overrated but I gotta give them credit for having some of the most intense fans ever.

Anyways the Japan v/s Croatia game is about to kickoff soon (Mike for the sake of your sanity I hope the Croats win it) so I shall end here. I will blog more on the subject when we are into the round of 16 until them leave me a comment on who you are rooting for...

Links: Some of my daily reads during the world cup and a little bit of homour...
- A hilarious e-mail I was forwarded by Brucki (Get it here)
- The Mighty MJD is a new fan of the game... (read more here)
- The sun : World cup for women
- Fox Sports brings to you pics of several soccer wives and girlfriends (link)
- Strange advertising approach: Soccer Urinal by ESPN in Brazil
- Live blogging for the world cup can be found at Deadspin
- Jabs from the Toronto Star is over in Germany and he has the daily roundup

Bonus: Here are a couple of ringtones I put together for you soccer fans...
Brazil (unknown)
Forca (Nelly Furtado)
Iran (thanx Ramin)

A shot at the future: NBA Mock Draft

This years draft is full of players with great nicknames...We have the JJ, the TT, the Bargs and the Ammo but there is no sign of any of the above being the next Lebron or Shaq. With the top 10 as they are right now there isn't even one guy who stands out with enough of that "upside" factor that makes him the consensus #1 pick in this years draft. I have enlisted a fellow basketball junkie Lincoln to help me out with a mock draft of the top 10 picks which further will show how much of a crapshoot this draft. Draft day is exactly two weeks away as I write this (Lincoln gave his picks a while ago...) and I hope to have us both back on June 28th live blogging with an analysis on each pick as we hear Stephen A Smith go on his rants from Madison Square Garden. So without further adieu here goes....

#1: Toronto Raptors - LaMarcus Aldridge (Natasha)
The Raptors have had some good luck drafting Dallas products and I think if the Raptors utilize this draft pick they are going to go with Aldridge. He is passionate, he solid fundamentals, will be a solid pick and make the Raptors frontline a nightmare for opposing teams to defend. LaMarcus already has a good back to the basket game and can play the finesse game that seems to be more in demand for NBA centers now. All this said I of the thinking that the Raptors are going to trade down so they can acquire a veteran to go along with a top 10 draft pick.
#1: Toronto Raptors - Andrea Bargnani (Lincoln)
All signs coming out of Colangelo's camp is that he's going Euro with this pick. He's scouted Bargnani extensively for years, has numerous connections and is being fairly public about this preference. This is just the sort of unorthodox pick that I can see BC making.

#2: Chicago Bulls - Andrea Bargnani (Natasha)
To be honest I think Tyrus is too much like Tyson Chandler but the bulls need another rebounder and if the Raptors go with Aldridge then the Bulls are going to grab Bargs. The need a scoring big man more than the Raptors do and even though there have been rumors that they will go with Brandon Roy I don't see Chicago going for a guard in this years draft.
#2: Chicago Bulls - LaMarcus Aldridge (Lincoln)
Makes too much sense not to happen. There's been talk of them preferring Tyrus, but they need the low-post scoring and a power forward, Aldridge is the best fit for that. They'd be hoping he's Bosh version 2.0.

#3: Charlotte Bobcats - Rudy Gay (Natasha)
Wow this guy who was almost everyone's #1 pick at the start of the year is barely hanging in the top 5. I think the Bobcats will end up taking Rudy Gay because he is a scorer who can play defense. Felton is going to be solid and a healthy Oakafor will be good but Rudy Gay would be the perfect pick for them at SF and with a good amount of salary cap space they can rely on his "upside" factor and give him time to develop while still investing in one or two vets.
#3: Charlotte Bobcats - Rudy Gay (Lincoln)
Call this a hunch. Rudy Gay is due for a resurgence. Now that the big tournament has left its mark, it's time for workout sessions. He should crush those. Bickerstaff has all but shot down the Morrison rumors (while defending Gay), and who can blame him. Who would you rather have, a one dimensional hustle player who's going to have to squeeze blood from a stone just to get a shot off at the NBA level, or a two-way player who's undeniably far more talented and whose biggest knock has been that he might not reach his maximum on-court assertiveness? Asking if you'd rather have 100% of Morrison or 65% of Rudy Gay's potential is like asking if you'd you rather have 100% of $100 or 65% of $1000.

#4: Portland Trailblazers - Adam Morrison (Natasha)
Portland needs something to give them a boost and Adam Morrison might just be the answer. He is a scorer and he has a passion for the game rarely seen in many over-paid NBA players. His breakdown in the tourney wasn't really the best idea but Portland needs someone to come there and bring something real back to this team. If they want to shed the Jailblazers image they need to ship out the Darius Miles and Zach Randolphs and bring in some passion and skill that Adam Morrsion displayed all year in the NCAA.
#4: Portland Trailblazers - Adam Morrison (Lincoln)
Scoring + college hype + model citizen = Blazers pick? Really who knows what's going on in Portland, but if anyone in the top 5 was going to pick Morrison this is the one team where it might actually make some sense. Rumor has it the team is up for sale. If they dump salary this off-season they may want to add a name in Morrison to sell a few tickets. I guess Morrison has appeal.

#5: Atlanta Hawks - Brandon Roy (Natasha)
Roy is probably the most complete and ready player in this years draft. He is a combo guard who can do a lot of things well. Atlanta right now needs every position that is not a Small Forward and even though Lincoln sees them picking Tyrus Thomas, I see Tyrus eventually being more of a SF Gerald Wallace style. Brandon Roy will give them a scorer who can play the point and will be able to contribute immediately. (I am hoping the Raptors grab this guy though)
#5: Atlanta Hawks - Tyrus Thomas (Lincoln)
Height jokes aside, they could use someone with some defensive potential for the front court. Besides, with no point guards worth taking this high, picking up the best asset they can makes sense.

#6: Minnesota Timberwolves: Tyrus Thomas (Natasha)
Kevin Garnett's contract is straight up ugly! Minnesota has almost half their salary cap tied up with his contract and have not had too much success with the draft and/or lack of draft picks in the recent years but I think they are going to have to starting building a team around him through the draft or if they can trade him then they will manage to put together a decent team. I am still not sold on Tyrus Thomas but he has shown enough of the "upside" to know he can be a force. If Minnesota cant move up in the Draft I am sure they will be happy to take him unless Rob Babcock steps in then we might see them draft J.J Redick!!
#6: Minnesota Timberwolves - Brandon Roy (Lincoln)
Minnesota wants to keep trying to put a team around Garnett. I'm sure they'd love to trade the pick for some immediate veteran help, but assuming the right opportunity doesn't present itself, Roy seems ready to contribute right away on an NBA level plus he gives something in the back court.

#7: Boston Celtics - Marcus Williams (Natasha)
The celtics might not have Paul Pierce as the face of the franchise at the start of next season but they do need to look to get a pure point guard and at this spot I think Marcus Williams is the best option. Sure he has the whole "stealing the laptop" thing going against him and some said he was out of shape but he has great court vision and during this years tournament was by far the best point guard. He might need some developing but I think he would be a good fit for this young Celtics team.
#7: Boston Celtics - Rajon Rondo (Lincoln)
Everyone's had this guy's stock in freefall for much of the season for no reason it seems other than the fact he was ill-suited for Kentucky's style of play. Sobriety time. Boston loved their workout with him, and they could use a pure point. Two bold predictions at this time for Rondo: 1) he's going ahead of Marcus Williams because he is actually the best point guard prospect in the draft (though it does depend what style you want your team to play); 2) he's going lottery and probably top 10.

#8: Houston Rockets - Randy Foye (Natasha)
Going into last season we all thought the Rockets were going to be great and it all came crashing. T-Mac had a rough year and the team was riddled with injuries. Luther Head was a pleasant surprise but the Rockets need some help in the back court and I think Randy Foye can be a combo guard and will be able to fill the role of a SG/PG. Its really not known how T-Mac will be next season but Foye was solid in his time at college and will be able to contribute right away like Luther Head did this past season.
#8: Houston Rockets - Shelden Williams (Lincoln)
Size (well he's not all that tall, but he plays up front... You get my meaning) tends to start to win out in a lot of GM's minds this time of year, especially when there's a lot of parity otherwise. Assuming he doesn't just totally suck, Houston could put Shelden to some potential use up front (especially given that the Swift experiment didn't work out).

#9: Golden State Warriors - Patrick O'Bryant (Natasha)
The big man with upside factor starts creeping in the top 10 at this point. O'Bryant had an amazing tournament and he might be a project and he admits it himself but Golden State could use a solid big body and they would be stupid to pass him up. Shelden is available but I don't see him being as strong as O'Bryant in the NBA.
#9: Golden State Warriors - Rodney Carney (Lincoln)
Why not? Golden State doesn't really need more junk and spare parts at any position since they have plenty already, but Mike Dunleavy really sucks so they might as well take a run at trying to do better while figuring out what to do with the rest of the junk and spare parts.

#10: Seattle Supersonics - Shelden Williams (Natasha)
I really believe Shelden Williams is the next coming of Antonio Davis (Davis of 5 years ago albeit). His physique, his aggressiveness, he was solid in college and will be productive for a long time in the NBA and the Sonics will be happy to take him here. He isn't quite tall enough compared to most of the C's in the league but he has a NBA body and he seems to show a great grasp of the game in terms of position on the floor to grab rebounds and has a consistent offensive game in the paint. It might help him to increase his shooting range but he is a solid pick for the Sonics at #10.
#10: Seattle Supersonics - Patrick O'Bryant (Lincoln)
Again size. Since he's the only centre anyone cares about in this draft (and even then, barely), I figure that should keep pushing his stock up and up until it creeps into the top 10. It's a vicious cycle. Basically a centre is projected to go, let's say, 20-25. But there's no one projected ahead of him who plays his position. So a couple teams with the 17th pick and the 16th pick start saying "Meh". It's not that much of a reach, and we need a centre. Suddenly his draft range is 16-20. But there's still no one ahead of him and so some teams with the 15th and 14th picks start thinking "We need a centre..." and so on. This continues until some idiot just says "Screw it! I'm taking him top 10". Hey did I mention Babcock is back in the Minny front office?

"Bahama Mama"... Making some predictions

Its been a whirlwind couple of weeks and my blogging has gone from non-existent to all over the place. 2 weeks ago I took off to Boston and the Bahamas for some fun in the sun and much needed R&R. Let me tell you Paradise Island lives up to its name and I was fortunate enough to get beautiful weather for the entire length of my stay at Atlantis. A picture is worth a thousand words and instead of praising to no end the beauty of this resort I figure the above picture would give you an idea. A bit pricey but soo worth it, Atlantis lived up to its namesake and provided photo op's every moment as you walk through the resort. My favourite is the slide where you suddenly find yourself enclosed in a glass tube which is suspended inside a shark tank. Ill get some pic's on flikr up sometime soon. In the meantime let's get to what I began this post for some predictions for the NBA Championship and the Stanley Cup ( a little late but I'm going with it)

According to Shaq the role he plays will soon be obsolete and Dirk will be the model of an NBA center. This matchup its one of the best we have seen in a while and is keeping with the theme of being one of the most exciting playoffs for the league in over a decade. There is really no one on the Heat roster that can defend Dirk, but fortunately for the Heat they can try to shut down the rest of the team. Avery Johnson has proven throughout the playoffs why he was named the coach of the year in the NBA as he has played each series perfectly. He has prepared his team well and with his coaching strategies outcoached the opposing coaches putting his team in the perfect position to win. Yet, if there is one guy who can give him a run for his money its Coach Pat Riley who is seen prancing the sidelines on the other end with his always in place hair and lots of experience to boot. I thought about this one for a while as I like both teams but they represent the changing of the guard in the NBA. The heat with the Shaq- Wade combo personifies how a team was built to win in the past but the Mavericks are the future with a high powered uptempo offense and a modern approach to defense. For now though... Shaq is playing like he is in his prime and the 1-2 punch of Superman and the Flash should prevail.
My Prediction: Miami Heat in 6

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals garnered less interest from viewers south of the border than some women's NCAA softball game. True its a little hard to find what channel the game is on (OLN) and for the most part half the country probably doesn't even know what OLN is!! Its a shame that no major station picked up the finals because its been a great couple of games. I know its a little late to make a prediction (but since this is my blog I will do as I please) for the Stanley Cup as 2 games are in the books. The Carolina Hurricanes are looking strong and the Edmonton Oilers lost their starting goaltender in game 1. The Oilers have kept the Cinderella story alive this season and coming from 8th spot in the Western conference to the Stanley Cup Finals is a big deal in itself but I do believe they will go down fighting and the goaltender situation made their task a lot harder. I don't see this series going too deep and hopefully next year the NHL will have a better television deal in place in the US so more people can enjoy the product on ice with everything that's changed. The new NHL is here to stay.
My Prediction: Carolina Hurricanes in 5