Jamison is done with DC, for real

SB Nation has this slightly inaccurate piece regarding Antawn Jamison's house that's for sale.

Anyone who has spent any reasonable amount of time in Washington, DC realizes that Bethesda is not in southern Maryland.

Saturday was a pretty amazing day of sports

In honor of all the awesome that happened on Saturday, April 17th, 2010, here is the coolest baseball video of all time:



Mets v. Cardinals - 20 (not 21 as initially written here) inning game that ended with a 2-1 victory by the Mets.
Capitals v. Canadiens - playoff game with a hat trick on each side with the Caps coming back from a seemingly insurmountable 3 goal deficit.
NBA playoffs began and Kevin Garnett elbowed Quentin Richardson in the face.
Rockies v. Braves - the Rockies get their first no hitter. The No No was thrown by Ubaldo Jimenez.

Playoffs? Playoffs? Well we ain't talking about practice

I've been quiet over the past few days even with the basketball world heading toward its most commercial and most competitive portion. I went to the Wizards finale against the Pacers. What a disaster. I'd analyze that game, but doing so is utterly worthless. Neither team was in playoff contention. The Wizards continued their auditions for next year and the Pacers continued to wallow in mediocrity. Pacers fans must like some of what they've seen over April, but it's too little, too late.

Now that playoffs have begun, I'll give my better late than never take, which, I'd like to think is better than our newest contributor's.

Eastern Conference

Cleveland Cavaliers (1) v. Chicago Bulls (8)
Chicago is scrappy enough to win a game if the Cavs lose focus, but in all likelihood, a couple of big wins by Cleveland will sap Chicago's energy (even Joakim Noah's). This will be over in four with a distinct lack of Ben Gordon heroics.

Orlando Magic (2) v. Charlotte Bobcats (7)
If these teams were better matched in talent, this series would be a fantastic coaching clinic. As it is, the Bobcats were heading toward another poor season until they traded an injured defensive expert Raja Bell for Stephen Jackson. Before the season began, the Bobcats swapped Emeka Okafor with Tyson Chandler. Mid-season, they acquired Jackson and, at the deadline, Tyrus Thomas. Chandler didn't help all that much by spending 31 games on the bench. Nazr Mohammed stepped in and Larry Brown's defense clicked. If the Bobcats can force double coverage on Gerald Wallace and get Dwight Howard in trouble, they can pull off more than a win in this series. The worst thing Larry Brown could do is to try to get Vince Carter in trouble. Vince Carter can lose this series (and any) for Orlando and at this point in his career, he is more likely to lose a game for his team than win a game. Either way, seeing the league's two best defenses make rotations that make you swear they each are playing a 6th man on D will be worth it.

Atlanta Hawks (3) v. Milwaukee Bucks (6)
Somehow, magically, Scott Skiles has taken the Bucks and made them fantastic. Unfortunately, a big part of this renaissance has been due to one Andrew Bogut. Bogut suffered a season ending injury so the Bucks lack their offensive big and will rely on John Salmons and rookie Brandon Jennings. This won't be enough unless the Hawks make some serious defensive mistakes. The Hawks are prone to defensive mistakes, though. The Hawks win this by scoring in the paint. Brandon Jennings will put on an amazing set of performances along with one of the coldest shooting nights in playoff history. This series has the chance to be the most entertaining, pitting defensive stalwarts against a highly efficient offense. Atlanta in 5 with Atlanta already leading 1-0.

Boston Celtics (4) v. Miami Heat (5)
Miami is again a five seed but facing Boston, who beat them three times this year. This series will prove what everyone already knows: Miami is Dwayne Wade and if Wade is off, Miami is out in 4. But, Wade won't be off by much and Miami will play solid defense. The problem for Miami is that Boston plays pretty damn solid defense as well. This series could go either way, but somehow, Doc Rivers will outcoach Spoelstra while Wade continues to not have the sidekick he needs in Jermaine O'Neal. This series could go to 7, but I'll say Boston in 6 with two instances of Paul Pierce returning from injury to help with a win. The first game in this series had one such instance as well as a Kevin Garnett ejection (not 'Sheed!). During Boston's championship season and last season, KG appeared to be an assistant coach as much as a defensive linchpin. This year, however, he's limped through as a shell of himself - not only has his quickness not come back, his ability to control teammates and opponents is lacking.


Western Conference

Los Angeles Lakers (1) v. Oklahoma City Thunder (8)
Voila, courtesy of Bobby.

Dallas Mavericks (2) v. San Antonio Spurs (7)
This division rivalry will be fun to watch, but with five games separating them during the regular season, near identical paces, near identical offensive and defensive efficiencies, and a dearth of injuries, I just can't see this not being a seven game series. The problem is that I have no idea who wins this. Manu Ginobili will erupt. Dirk Nowitzki will erupt. I hate to think that the Spurs' decade of greatness is over, but it probably is. And if the Mavs don't win it all, will Cuban blow up the team? Dallas in 7.

Phoenix Suns (3) v. Portland Trailblazers (6)
This series is bad for basketball fans. The Blazers have been absolutely killed by injuries to key players this year. Now, their star is out for the series. Brandon Roy had arthroscopic surgery the other day. If Portland advances, Roy may play again this season. Portland has been Cool Hand Luke getting up every time they're knocked down by Dragline. Every single time. It's getting hard to watch, let alone comprehend. I just don't see a hero in waiting for the Blazers against these Suns - not Marcus Camby, not LaMarcus Aldridge, not Andre Miller, and not Jerryd Bayless. The luck and hunger needed for that just isn't going to happen. Plus, Phoenix could win it all this year. They're peaking at the right time and despite losing Robin Lopez, the Suns will win this in 6.

Denver Nuggets (4) v. Utah Jazz (5)
The feel good story is that George Karl comes back from cancer treatment in the second round and coaches the Nuggets all the way to victory in the Finals over Carmelo's friend LeBron. Of course, that would be much more likely if the Nuggets weren't going against the tenacious and physical Jazz. Jerry Sloan's team is banged up, but so are the Nuggets. This series could go to 7 games or interim head coach Adrian Dantley could implode and the Jazz win in 6. A key to this series is whether Chauncey Billups takes each game as his to win or shares the ball with people not necessarily named Carmelo Anthony.



I love the second season that is the NBA Playoffs, but wow do I hate the commercials that aren't related to Old Spice.

NBA Playoff First Round Predictions

After breaking down the LA Lakers - OKC Thunder matchup in detail, I would like to provide a quick and dirty prediction post for the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

Western Conference

(1) LAL vs (8) OKC -- Lakers in 5.

For my take on this series, click here.

(2) DAL vs (7) SAS -- Spurs in 6.

Yes, I know Dallas got better with Caron Butler, and I know the Spurs are getting older by the second. I just get the feeling Ginobili is going to absolutely dominate this series. Combining that with the always-solid play of Parker and Duncan, adding a sprinkle of George Hill and DeJuan Blair, and ignoring my hatred of Matt Bonner and the complete uselessness of Richard Jefferson leads me to pick the Spurs.

(3) PHX vs (6) POR -- Phoenix in 4.

This sucks. I wish Brandon Roy didn't tear a meniscus in his knee. I wish Greg Oden only looked 65 years old and didn't get injured like he was 65 years old. And Pryzbilla the Vanilla Gorilla, well...I got nothin'. I just like that nickname.

(4) DEN vs (5) UTA -- Utah in 7.

This is going to be the best series of the bunch. I can't wait to see Deron Williams, Carmelo Anthony, Mr. Big Shot, Carlos Boozer and Kenyon Martin battle it out. This series could go either way but will certainly (I hope, for entertainment sake) go the full seven games.

Eastern Conference

(1) CLE vs (8) CHI -- Cleveland in 5.

At least this year the 8 seed in the East was a .500 team. Just for that, I'll give them a game.

(2) ORL vs (7) CHA -- Orlando in 4.

Dwight Howard is a lot of fun to watch. Vinsanity (or, if you prefer, Half-Man Half-Amazing) has enjoyed quite a little renaissance here. I like Charlotte but Gerald Wallace and Larry Brown are no match for the Magic.

(3) ATL vs (6) MIL -- Atlanta in 6.

Atlanta is the clearly superior team here, but they seem to have lapses in performance. Don't sleep on the Bucks. Brandon Jennings is the truth (I can't believe he slipped so low in the draft) and Andrew Bogut is finally coming into his own (although he broke his elbow and won't play in this series). They just don't have enough to get past the deep and talented Hawks.

(4) BOS vs (5) MIA -- Boston in 5.

Boston's team defense should bottle up D-Wade and I'm not sold on Beasley being able to pick up the slack (we all know Jermaine O'Neal can't and won't get it done).

So there it is. I'll provide a new set of predictions when the next round is set. If you agree or disagree, let me know in the comments.

Should Mamba & Co. Be Scared of The Durantula?

One of the most popular subjects being written about the NBA today is the sorry state of the Los Angeles Lakers as a team, and Kobe as an individual. This is not without merit. The Lakers have been playing poorly for at least the last three weeks, and Kobe's final three games of the season were statistically disgusting. On top of that, the Lakers limped to the finish line with a flurry of injuries to Andrew Bynum, Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic (not to mention Kobe's nagging finger and knee injuries). All in all, conventional wisdom (and logical thinking) is that the Lakers are not a championship-caliber team at the start of the 2010 NBA Playoffs.

Meanwhile, the OKC Thunder are playing some of the best basketball in the Association and boast newly-crowned scoring champion, rising superstar, MVP candidate and owner of the coolest nickname in years, Kevin Durant (AKA Durantula). A young squad that plays solid defense, rebounds the ball and can depend on a few guys to score crucial buckets, the Thunder are an up-and-coming contender.

As we all know, though, the NBA Playoffs are all about matchups. Matchups that can be exploited over the course of a 7-game series. This is where the Lakers come out ahead. Let's examine:

Point Guard - Derek Fisher vs. Russell Westbrook

Let's get the obvious out of the way first. Derek Fisher has no shot at stopping Russell Westbrook. Westbrook is an exceptional point guard who, despite not being a traditional PG, averaged 8.0 APG this season. He's young, he's fast, he can score and he's got dimes. Derek Fisher, on the other hand, is old, slow and has lost his shooting touch. This matchup is easy to call.

ADVANTAGE = THUNDER

Shooting Guard - Kobe Bryant vs. Thabo Sefalosha

Kobe is the best player in the Western Conference. Thabo is one of the best individual defenders in the NBA, but he is no match for Kobe Bryant, injury or no injury, especially in the playoffs. Case in point: Kobe has averaged 27.0 ppg on 46.3% shooting (including nearly 8 FTM per game) with 5 APG. Thabo's lone claim is that he has forced Black Mamba into 5.3 TO per game. A fine claim, but he is by no means able to shut down KB24.

ADVANTAGE = LAKERS

Small Forward - Ron Artest vs. Kevin Durant

This paragraph is going to look strikingly similar to the previous one. Kevin Durant is one of the best players in the Western Conference. Ron Artest is one of the best individual defenders in the NBA, but he is no match for the Durantula. Case in point: KD has averaged 25.8 ppg on 46.3% shooting (including 6 FTM per game). Artest's lone claim is that he has forced Durant into 4.8 TO per game. A fine claim, but he is by no means able to shut down the Durantula.

ADVANTAGE = THUNDER.

Power Forward - Pau Gasol vs. Jeff Green

This is where the Lakers' advantages start to show. Jeff Green is a gifted rebounder and a great young player, but he is absolutely no match for Pau Gasol. He is giving 3 inches in height to Gasol, not to mention Gasol's all-around skill set. The main gripe against Gasol is his lack of desire to play aggressive inside. Against a guy like Jeff Green, this is not going to be a problem.

ADVANTAGE = LAKERS

Center - Andrew Bynum vs. Nenad Krstic

First of all, indications are that Bynum will return in time for Game 1 on Sunday. If he does, this is another area where the Lakers have a clearly massive advantage. I'm not even going to give Nenad the honor of discussing this "matchup".

ADVANTAGE = LAKERS

Bench

This one is close. The Thunder boast James Harden, Eric Maynor and a solid but unspectacular Nick Collison on the bench. A very solid group with zero playoff experience. The Lakers' much-maligned bench consists of Lamar Odom, Jordan Farmar and Luke Walton (if healthy). When the Candyman (Lamar) is on, he's better than Harden/Maynor/Collison combined. When he's off, Harden could outperform him. Farmar and Walton have both been hurt, but I still have to give the advantage to the Lakers here.

ADVANTAGE = LAKERS

Coaching Staff

While Scotty Brooks should absolutely win Coach of the Year, Phil Jackson has ten rings.

ADVANTAGE = LAKERS

Overall, while the Thunder have a clear advantage at PG and SF, the Lakers' size should win them this series. There are two major caveats to this: (1) Bynum has to play, and play effectively, in this series, and (2) the Lakers have to actually take advantage of their size. Pau's complaints about not getting enough touches have to be heard. Kobe is not going to win this series for the Lakers. Pau and Bynum (and Odom, to a lesser extent) will. The Thunder in general and Durantula in particular are a great story, but this series should be the end of it.

Prediction: Lakers in 5.

NBA Nomad

Okay, so I've decided that if the Knicks don't make a HUGE splash this summer in the free agent market, I am officially renouncing my fandom and becoming an NBA nomad. 

An NBA nomad you ask?  That's right.  I will be all about the good teams and my favorite players.  Hey, the NBA has been marketing stars over teams for years.  Is it wrong for me to follow their lead? Should I have to suffer for almost a decade because of bad contracts and even worse management?  Come on, my team traded its future for a guy who eats Vaseline and thinks it is a good idea to broadcast it. 

Anybody want to join me in living the life of an NBA nomad? You will get championships, good basketball and something to make you smile almost every night!  Best part, when your newly discovered favorite team/star starts to stink (or like Sheed keeps eating and stops working), you just move on!

To Sit or Not To Sit?

In an interview today, NBA commissioner David Stern discussed his growing concern about winning teams resting players going into the playoffs.  With respect to this issue, Commissioner Stern said:

"We're troubled by it, because it would be our preference that healthy players play ... But sometimes players play at different levels of being nicked or bruised and we never wanted to get into the business of sending out truckloads of doctors analyzing whether a player was actually nicked or bruised, and we understand the issue"

Personally, I don't think this is much of an issue.  If a team wins enough games to be able to rest its starters going into the playoffs, good for them.  That's why you win all year and fans hopefully get a better playoff run because their team's stars are rested! 

My big problem is teams sitting "injured" players to better their draft position.  Fans of a bad team should not have to suffer more because that team's best players are on the bench.

Thoughts?

Because Steve Nash Makes Good Use of His Free Time

Steve Nash's YouTube Channel is awfully ridiculous. There's his now famous Avatar spoof starring teammate Leandro Barbosa. There are his Vitamin Water commercials.
There is this, titled "Balls Talk"


And, perhaps best of all, his "conquer Europe" mission:

A shopping tip for Wizards fans

I found these at the team store at the Verizon Center. Is it just me, or is it weird that they are selling merchandise from former players at 30% off, while I saw no trace of Arenas - who technically is still part of the team?

Step right up and get your discounts while Gilbert is in the halfway house, folks!

The Statistics of Being Blocked

Hardwood Paroxysm examines the frequency of being blocked. As it turns out, some of the best shot blockers are also some of the best at not being blocked.

This is the kind of useful statistic I can get behind.

Corey Brewer

I'm a sucker for a candid interviewee. Corey Brewer has had a rough introduction to the NBA - team upheaval, injury, coaching change. However, he's a professional and takes it in stride - all while improving his play.

Check out this fantastic interview at ESPN.com.

On the low point of his career so far:

Probably last year when I got hurt. My rookie year, I couldn't throw it in the ocean. I was shooting about 20% my first few months. I was real down. Last year when I got hurt, it was even worse. I felt like I was finally playing defense. I came up with a good game or two. Then I got hurt.

Messi is the Man!

Gotta love the super hat trick!

As the Guardian's Sid Lowe put it:

"F-ck Me, what a goal"

Ouch!!!

Due to popular demand the Ouch Post is back!

What does a right knee breaking in half look like? Ouch!

WARNING: This Post might make you spontaneously barf! 

#78

With their sixth title since 1995 tonight, the UConn Huskies women's bball team is now only 10 wins away from tying the legendary 1970s UCLA Bruins men's bball record of 88-consecutive wins.

Hockey is for Everyone!

If you don't have plans this weekend, head out to Laurel, MD with me. If you do have plans this weekend, cancel them and head out to Laurel, MD this weekend for the 6th Annual Hockey Disabled Festival at the Gardens Ice House.

I am a big fan of the Olympic Games, but the Paralympics are even more near and dear to my heart. The Olympics are an exciting time full of competition, determination and athleticism; but the Paralympics are all that and then some. If I had to describe it in one word, it would be perseverance. If I had more words to describe it, I would write this blog post about the Vancouver Paralympic Games.

The Hockey Disabled Festival will feature hockey games like you have never seen before. There will be games all weekend long in four categories: Special hockey, sled hockey, standing amputees, and deaf/hearing impaired. You can also meet the US Paralympic Sled Hockey team and check out their gold medals (the Vancouver medals were way cooler than all previous medals, by the way.) And the Stanley Cup will be making an appearance at the festival.

If that's not enough to convince you to head out to Laurel this weekend... can I interest you in some cake?

Ouch!

What happens when a 7 foot Australian man falls from the rim?  Ouch!

WARNING: This Post might make you spontaneously barf!



I think this fall might rank with some of the most painful looking sports injuries (behind Theismann and that crazy soccer injury of course).

Is Duke Popularity a Symptom of American Anti-Populism, or Vice Versa?

Progressive columnist David Sirota hypothesizes on the country's love/hate relationship with the Blue Devils:

[I]n the Great Duke Debate, I side with the Nation's Dave Zirin. Combining all the leading explanations, then adding Duke's status as an upper-crust, ultra-expensive private school, I subscribe to his theory that says our penchant for hating on the Blue Devils reflects America's larger, more complex relationship with privilege.

This makes sociopolitical sense. A country founded on anti-royalism and defined by anti-aristocrat political rhetoric will naturally profess disgust for, say, Ivy League presidential candidates and incumbent congressmen — just as it will loudly claim to despise Duke basketball (and Yankees baseball and Cowboys football and ... you get the point). In short, purporting to abhor inequality, advantage and dynasty has long been as red-bloodedly patriotic as loving mom, adoring apple pie and, yes, booing teams like the Blue Devils — teams that seem to wear their privilege on their jerseys.

And yet, evidence suggests our righteous inveighing against privilege is depressingly shallow — and possibly fraudulent. Note this recent New York Daily News report:

"When considering why Duke was conveniently placed on a fast track to (the Final Four by NCAA bracket makers), the power of the Blue Devils as a TV attraction must be factored into the equation," wrote the paper, adding that, simply put, "Duke has a history of juicing TV ratings."

This cannot be explained away as a mere product of Duke's alumni fan base or the watch-'em-because-we-hate-'em crowd. Those die-hard audiences, however passionate, are too small to account for such inflated national viewership figures.

We can hence conclude that a large segment of basketball fans who say they detest Duke — and who may consciously believe they detest Duke — actually secretly or subconsciously adore it and its privilege.

I suppose populists should root for mid-major Cinderella-story Butler, then. After all, Butler was founded by and named after an abolitionist, whereas Duke is named after robber baron James Buchanan Duke of the American Tobacco Company monopoly.

Go Bulldogs!

Is this going to make Eagles fans even angrier?

Or is that even possible?

Redskins acquire quarterback McNabb from Eagles

March Madness: Pie vs. Cake

Yeah, yeah, it's Final Four weekend. Whatever. Maybe Duke wins another title and everyone in college basketball fandom who didn't go to Duke or grow up near Duke or date someone who went to Duke or have a law school roommate went to Duke or has Reggie Love as a bodyman will be pissed/irritated/generally unconcerned. Or maybe Duke loses, and only those people listed previously are heartbroken, and the rest of us who had our teams get prematurely destroyed in the first round will laugh and say, "Now you know how it feels."

But insofar as "March Madness" perversely enters into April (I know, madness!), it isn't all just about men's basketball, or even the Huskies pursuit of 88 consecutive victories (they can only get to 78 by winning their sixth title on Tuesday, so you'll have to hold your breath until next season). No, my dear friends, March Madness is about much more. It is about the epic struggle between good and evil. Yes, it is about a clash of the titans that does not involve CG giant scorpions and an embarrassingly ethereal Zeus portrayed by Qui-Jon Ginn... I mean Ra's Al Ghul... I mean Liam Neeson. It is about:

Pie versus Cake.

"But hsuper," you complain, "This has nothing to do with sports? Why are you blogging this?" To which I reply with this video, which demonstrates nothing, but may make you hungry:

One Shining Moment: March Madness, Cakes vs. Pies from Jezebel on Vimeo.

Voting concludes Monday 4/5 at 1:55pm EST.

Go Cheesecake!

Get a New Training Staff

At least Carlos Beltran will have some company!

According to an AP Report:

New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes will start the season on the disabled list to get in better shape.

Reyes said the team told him Thursday he’ll be on the DL because he’s had so little practice in spring training. He returned to camp last week following a three-week absence because of thyroid issues.

“I want to be there on opening day, there’s no doubt, but we have to make the right decision,” Reyes said. “If I miss a couple games, it won’t be a big deal because I have to get ready for the season.”

This season both Reyes and All-Star center fielder Carlos Beltran start the season on the DL. Last season the Mets used the disabled list 22 times for 19 players, including eight former All-Stars. One would think that an organization with a big-league payroll of over $90 million would have a better training staff to keep them healthy.

And, it's not as if injuries are a new thing to this organization. Does anybody remember the mid-90s? Pitchers Paul Wilson, Jason Isringhausen and Bill Pulsipher were supposed to be the saviors of the Mets' rotation. What happened to all three? You guessed it ... injuries.