Well, Well, Well…

It comes as no surprise to most that Kobe & the Lakers are headed back to the NBA Finals for the 6th time since 2000, their 30th overall. 

I’ve been pulling for the Nuggets in this series but, as a 90’s Bulls fan it always feels good to see “Phil Doing Work”, Coach Jackson has got to be considered the greatest coach off all times. Yes, his coaching has had some serious help having guys named Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, O’Neal, & Bryant on his championship teams but, think about how many teams have great players and never win it all.

 Last night the Lakers showed the world how you close out a series. I really like the Nuggets or Thuggets which ever you prefer it’s just not their time.

Many think this is the year of Kobe-LeBron, however I don’t think so.  I have two different takes on the subject..Firstly, this could be the year that Kobe shows the world that he can lead the Lakers not only to the finals but to a championship without the “Big Fella” or it could be another that year we see the NBA Defensive Player of the Year and not the league MVP lead his team to the championship.

Good news for Orlando fans…

Over the past ten seasons when the Defensive Player of the Year is from the East and they make it to the NBA Finals they are 2 for 3 in winning championships. Four time winner Ben Wallace is 1 for 2 winning the finals in 2004 with the Pistons, Kevin Garnett was last year’s winner of the award and of course the Celtics won it all.

Bad news for the Cavs…

Since 2000-01 there have only been three MVP’s to make it to the finals and only one to win the championship & that was Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs back in 2002-2003.

With all the Kobe-LeBron talk nobody is even mentioning that the Eastern Conference Finals features the winners of the most prestigious awards in the league other than the championship.

If defense wins championships I expect Orlando to win the East tonight.

And much like last year, if defense wins championships, I’ll let you fill in the blank..

The other angle that I have yet to year from any of my colleagues is that Hall of Famer Patrick is on the brink of finally winning a championship ring. I understand that it may come as a coach but, let’s be honest a ring is a ring. I can name so many of the great players that never won a ring.

Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Reggie Miller, Dominique Wilkins, & Ewing headline the class to never win it all and honestly if these guys had the opportunity to get a ring, they would take it. 

Ewing’s 1994 & 1999 Knicks teams made it to the finals however, he was outworked by the ’94 league MVP Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets and in 1999 the Spurs 1-2 punch of David Robinson & Tim Duncan proved to be way too much for the 7foot giant. 

A 2x Olympic gold medal winner (’84,’92), ’86 NBA Rookie of the Year, and 11x All Star, the only thing that Ewing hasn’t accomplished is to be crowned NBA Champion.

Tonight as Coach Ewing and the Magic look to eliminate the Cavs, I’ll be silently cheering for Ewing.

I’m Rob Calloway & I am the Mad Sports Fan.

Email me:  madsportsfan at gmail.com or follow me on twitter @theotherrc.

Happy Friday Sports Fans!!!

What a week in for all followers of the NBA. The Western & Eastern finals have been just amazing. At the halfway point of the season no one could have convinced that this would be the final four.

Last night we witnessed another stellar performance from BIG GAME JAMES… What the Cavs did yesterday is basically what they should’ve been doing all series, playing hard and fast. LBJ was able to get Mo’ Williams and Delonte West involved in the game and created plays on his way to another triple-double.

Magic fans please don’t panic…

The good news for you is that the Magic have the Cavs number and Saturday they will make the call and eliminate them.

Look at it like this…

At the end of the 1st quarter Cleveland was up by twenty-two points, however, by the end of the 2nd they were only up by one. In the 3rd Orlando took the lead and from that point it was back and forth but for some reason it just looked as if Orlando was playing very relaxed, as if they knew they could win but want to do it at home.

I look for Saturday’s Game 6 in Orlando to be bananas…

Most of all I look for the Magic to close’em out.

Is it just me or did Nike roll out the new MVP commercial as soon as LBJ got his triple-double???

Tonight’s Western Conference match-up is do or die for Denver.

The game’s most dominant closer Kobe Bryant wants to end this thing but, Billups & Anthony have other plans.

This game will be physical.

Denver is very good at the Pepsi Center & Kobe has to do it by himself, Denver will win this thing and force a game seven.

Stay tuned. Coming up in the next post I’m going to introduce everyone to an angle in this years playoffs that no one is even mentioning.

Email me: madsportsfan@gmail.com & follow me on twitter @theotherrc…

What if?

What if the Kobe vs. LeBron match-up doesn’t happen?

Would you be disappointed?

I wouldn’t be… As a matter a fact I welcome it.

I wrote last week that I feel as if Nike, Vitamin Water, & ESPN are investing too much money, time, & energy with this campaign because in actuality the NBA’s dream match-up might not happen.

If the NBA Finals end up being Orlando vs. Denver, what do you do with the campaign or do they have another series of commercials on the back burner?

In all honesty I can’t believe the NBA is even allowing this to happen…

I’m not the only one that feels this way, on yesterday D. Howard & Kenyon Martin spoke out about the situation, calling it a slap in the face.

Now that the Magic are up on LeBron James 3-1 and yes I meant to say LeBron and not the Cavs, I can only wonder what Nike and Vitamin Water reps are thinking…

Could it be OMG or WTF?

What if the Nuggets go up on the Lakers 3-2?

Could the MVPs turn into the MVBs… The Most Valuable B….. You can fill in the blank.

I have never been more excited about the NBA playoffs than I am right now. In a previous post I declared that I’m not a hater, I just like for things to be fair across the board and I don’t think by running ads clearly stating who you want in the finals is fair.

There is no doubt that Kobe & LeBron are the two best players in the league however, they are not playing on the two best teams in the league. I know, I know the season records indicate something different but, the best two teams will be the last two standing.

Can I start by saying I’m not a hater…

I am a realist.

Which in short terms mean “I keep it real”It’s Monday morning & the NBA is on fire, the Magic lead the Cavs 2-1 & the Lakers lead the Nuggets 2-1.  This weekend we witnessed 3 playoff games that could have easily went in favor of the losing teams. We’ve seen clutch moments from all of the stars Kobe, Hedo, Melo, Chauncey, D. Howard, Rashard, & of course LBJ’s buzzer beater on Friday night.

It was a good shot, but not as great as many are making it out to be. Sure it won game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals but that’s it… So many of my colleagues & sports fans alike are always looking for the next Jordan so much that they are willing to overlook much of MJ’s career & accomplishments to put someone on his level.

Sorry folks that ain’t happening!

We want another MJ so bad that every year we are claiming someone to be the next Jordan and of course much like Jesus Christ, we still haven’t seen the second coming of MJ.

Remember Harold Minor a.k.a. Baby Jordan… What a bust!

Vince Carter… Yeah right.

What about Penny Hardaway?

T-Mac?

And then we have the MVP’s the Most Valuable Puppets… Kobe & LeBron.Sure Kobe & MJ have some things in common. Both won multiple NBA championships with the great Phil Jackson as head coach, NBA MVP’s,  & much like Jordan, Kobe is one of the greatest scorers in the history of the game. MJ just happens to have 3 more rings than Kobe so that pretty much eliminates him.

For now anyway…

LBJ, Bron Bron, Big Game James or whatever you wanna call him is no Michael Jordan. I really don’t care if his buzzer beater Friday was from the other end of the court all it did was win game 2. Most of my colleagues are calling Friday’s shot the defining moment in LBJ’s career. I’m sorry if someone told me that out of all the shots I’ve made in my career that was the defining moment, I would fear my career was near the end. Many are comparing the game 2 winning shot to the shot MJ made over Craig Ehlo in 1989.

Well folks I’ve got some bad news…

No matter had how much Cavs’ fans want to erase the Jordan-Ehlo shot you can’t. LBJ’s shot on Friday was just a game 2 winner. The shot over Ehlo was to advance to the next round of the playoffs. Even though it was only the first round, that shot was a defining moment for MJ.

Wow. Now that I think about it that was 20 years ago.

So I all fairness to the guys can we at least wait until their careers are over before we start associating them with GREATNESS…

Oh. By the way Cavs’ fans LBJ is six rings away from true greatness.

Think about it…

It’s just something else to chew on with your Memorial Day BBQ.

I am Rob Calloway & I am the Mad Sports Fan.

Email me: madsportsfan@gmail.com

Is it me or are we possibly witnessing the best playoff match-ups in years?

There have been 3 games played between the East & West and so far each game has come down to the final seconds. Last nights game 2 of the Western Conference finals ended much like game 1 except for the Lakers were on the losing end. There was no Trevor Ariza intercepting the inbounds instead it was the Nuggets Kenyon Martin getting the inbound pass scoring the game winning layup with 29 seconds left in regulation to give Denver the 106-103 win over the Lakers at Staples Center.

Looks like George Karl learned a lesson from game 1 when we took Billups out of the game and the Lakers went on a roll and eventually won game 1. As the general of this team Chauncey will have to be on the court just as much as Melo in order for the Nuggets to eliminate the Lakers.

Game 3 is Saturday in Denver at the Pepsi Center…

Meanwhile, what the hell is going on with Vitamin Water & ESPN acting as if Kobe & LeBron are already playing for the NBA championship? The Most Valuable Puppets commercials are a good but they probably should have waited until the Finals before rolling out these spots… I just feel like its total disrespect the other stars involved in the playoffs such as Melo, D Howard, K-Mart, & not to forget the 2004 Finals MVP Chauncey Billups.

Hey LeBron have you seen Chauncey’s Championship Ring?

So now that suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has been released from prison in Leavenworth, Kansas he now heads down the road to redemption.  

Before any talks of playing football can Officially begin, Vick must finish the final two months of his 23-month federal sentence on dog fighting charges under house arrest in Hampton, Virginia.  As part of his probation, Vick will work for a construction company earning $10.00 an hour.

It’s kind of funny that in the years since Mike’s conviction the ”Wildcat” formation has become the new IN thing… I posted in this very website a couple of days again that the best way to reintroduce Vick to the game is for a team to make him their “Wildcat” QB.

Could you imagine Vick coming in for the Patriots, Seahawks, or Raiders?

Why these three teams?

Well if you remember it was last season that the Patriots gave up 5 touchdowns on six plays versus the Dolphins. Everyone know Pats coach Bill Belichick hates to lose and adding Vick to run the Wildcat behind Tom Brady would be the ultimate payback against the Dolphins.

As for the Raiders, they are built for speed. That’s the one thing Al Davis knows. The Raiders actually tried to run the Wildcat several times with RB Darren McFadden but it never really worked out.

Lastly, the Seahawks could be the ultimate destination. Under Seattle head coach Jim Mora, Vick was considered the biggest threat in the NFL. The Seattle Seahawks are going to need a QB, so why not Vick? Did I mention that his backfield would consist of two of his former RBs in Justin Griffith & T.J. Duckett? I saw Coach Mora on ESPN yesterday and when asked about Vick he had that steel look in his eyes that all Falcons’ fan remember.

The one advantage you have with Vick is that he has the ability to handle both options in the Wildcat running and throwing, plus he would give your offense a change of pace.

We can speculate all we want but the fact remains that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has the last word on when Michael Vick will return to the league. Goodell says he won’t talk to Vick about his return to the league until the legal process was over. 

Welcome Home MV7……

What goes around comes around… Or at least that’s what they say…

Former Atlanta Braves’ pitcher Jason Marquis led the Colorado Rockies to a 5-1 win, in the opener of a four-game series at Turner Field.  Marquis struck out three batters to improve to 5-and-3 on the season.  

Braves ace Derek Lowe allowed two runs on three hits over eight innings to fall to

5-and-2 on the season.  

The Braves have now lost two in a row.

 Jair Jurrjens (3-2) takes the mound for the Braves tonight versus Jason Hammel (0-2) first pitch is scheduled for 7:10pm.

Now this has got to be a first….

Vince McMahon’s WWE has the Pepsi Center, the home of the Denver Nuggets booked for its “Monday Night Raw” this coming Monday. 

Next Monday is also the night of Game Four when the Nuggets host the Lakers. 

WWE officials said the company has been holding the date since August of 2008.  

McMahon took a shot at Nuggets and Pepsi Center owner Stan Kroenke saying he “did not have enough faith” in the Nuggets to hold the May 25th date for a potential playoff game. 

I’m Rob Calloway & I am the Mad Sports Fan…

Email me: madsportsfan@gmail.com

It took a little time but the NBA conference finals are now set.

In the East Cleveland & Orlando are set to hook up Wednesday in Cleveland. This is going to be Cleveland’s only true test during the playoffs. I don’t see the talented Orlando Magic laying down for LBJ and crew. The Magic are bigger and better than the Cavs previous opponents in this years playoffs. In order for Cleveland to advance to the NBA finals LBJ will need his supporting cast to step up and on the flipside the Magic will have to run the offense through Howard more during the 4th quarter. Expect this one to go the distance.

After watching L.A. go 7 games with the STARLESS Houston Rockets, I’m convinced the Lakers aren’t about to win a championship of any sorts. Not only is Denver loaded with STAR POWER but they also out match the Lakers. The way that Denver has handled their business during the playoffs I don’t see them changing the game plan.
By taking the Lakers to 7 games, the Houston Rockets have showed that L.A. is very vulnerable. Denver wins this series hands down in 5…

QB available…. Maybe. 

Suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick gets out of prison this week.   

Now let the speculations begin… 

Who needs a backup QB? 

Wildcat QB perhaps? 

Who needs a punt or kick off returner? 

Cornerback maybe? 

Wideout? 

I know, I know it sounds silly but in all honesty there is no way you can turn your offense over to Vick as a starting QB right now. Think in these terms, MV7 was already having issues reading defenses and making key passes. So what do you think he would be like if you placed him back a starting QB after missing two seasons?  

If you look at the current Falcons’ roster, there are some holes the MV could plug. The Birds have a depleted secondary, a soft return game, & no solid QB to backup Matt Ryan. Without a doubt the Falcons could use his services but, the days of seeing Vick as an Atlanta Falcon are all but over.  

In my personal opinion what a team should do is trade for Vick, make him your backup and 3^rd string QB. For teams that are looking for a change of pace, such as running the Wildcat, Mike Vick would be a great addition to your team. The other option is to make him a punt & kickoff return specialist. NFL defenses had trouble catching him as a QB running out of the pocket, so just imagine him return kicks. WOW…

And then there were TWO…

Two teams at home chilling, waiting on their opponents whoever that may be…We all know how LBJ & the Cavs dismantled the Atlanta Hawks in four straight games but, what about the Denver Thuggets!

I mean Nuggets…lol… 

After that wild ending to Saturday’s game 3 in Dallas followed by all the trash talk by Mavs owner Mark Cuban, you kind of had the feeling that the Nuggets would eventually eliminate the Mavs. 

In pro sports you only have a hand full of players that can go into the ZONE and play at a higher level than their opponents and Melo is one of those guys. If you’ve watched this guy go from one year in college to the pros, you know what I’m talking about and last night was know different. Melo came out on fire last night, it seemed like he hit every shot he took on his way to a team high 30 points as Denver eliminated Dallas 124-110 in Denver.

For a team that hasn’t been to the conference finals since 1985, they seem to be ready for more than just the conference finals. I’m think 2009 NBA Finals. Seriously, based on their performance in the past two series do you honestly think L.A. or Houston can beat the Nuggets? Never thought in a million years that I would say this but, I’m rolling with Denver, out of the Western Conference anyway. Honestly, I have to wait until the Conference finals are over before I can make my championship prediction. 

That leads me to tonight’s match ups:

Doc Rivers’ Boston Celtics & the Orlando Magic hook up at 7:00pm. After all the complaining from D. Howard about not getting the ball in the 4th quarter of game 5 lets see if Coach Van Gundy changes his game plan.

And then we’ve got Kobe and the Lakers versus the Houston Rockets… Not sure which way this thing is gonna turn out. I’m hoping the Rockets get the best of L.A. because, I want this one to go 7, so that the Nuggets can get some much needed rest.

Tomorrow we’ll recap these two big games…

It’s very possible for Orlando & Houston’s seasons to be over TONIGHT…

I’m Rob Calloway & I am the Mad Sports Fan.

Email me:  madsportsfan at gmail.com