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Satan In The Igloo Next Season

This is the finals the NBA needed. Two top-dollar market teams, two storied franchises, and a rivarly that brought out some of the greatest NBA highlights ever in the 1980’s and brought out the best in Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Dennis Johnson, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Byron Scott, Kurt Rambis, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

The rivarly is renewed, but the names have changed to Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen. Not only have the names changed, but the shorts are longer and the players are more cockier and physical.

Instead of Pat Riley and K.C. Jones, we now have Phil Jackson and Glenn “Doc” Rivers.

Instead of Dick Stockton and Tommy Heinsohn, we will have some combination of Jeff Van Gundy, Mike Tirico, Mike Breen, Hubie Brown, Mark Jackson, Michelle Tafoya, Lisa Salters, Stuart Scott, Michael Wilbon, and the overrated and awful Bill Walton.

I hope that the Celtics-Lakers, rivarly II will be equally as captivating as Celtics-Lakers, rivarly I was. Those games brought back fond memories of when the NBA finals were seen at 11:30 PM on CBS. When ESPN Classic Sports replayed those games, I sat and re-watched those games for hours on end remembering how I would wake up in the middle of the night and cut the TV on with low volume watching those games until either my mom or dad caught me and forced me to go back to sleep.

Now, I can’t watch the old games because my cable company removed ESPN Classic Sports from the base cable package and packaged it within a sports-tier package packaged in their digital cable package that make cable tv way too expensive.

But there’s always YouTube to watch clips of those old times.

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Just Like Old Times

“Big Shot Rob” (a.k.a. “Cheap Shot Rob” and ‘Robert Keith Horry”) has had one of the most unique careers in professional sports today. Horry, like Steve Kerr, Derek Fisher, Mariano Rivera, and Adam Viniteri, are well know for making careers out of last-second heroics that produce game winning results. All three are well known for their championship rings they have earned in their respective sports.

Let’s look at the facts here…

Seven championship rings (only six players in NBA history have more)

One of only three players to win multiple NBA Championships with two different teams in consecutive seasons.

One of two players to win NBA rings with three different teams.

The all-time leader in playoff games played.

Second on the all-time list of three-pointers made in the playoffs.

Holds the record for three-pointers all-time in the NBA Finals with 53.

Holds the NBA Playoffs record for most three-point field goals made in a game without a miss (7).

Robert Horry and Steve Kerr, alternated NBA Championships for a decade. Either Kerr or Horry was on the roster of every NBA Championship team from the 1993-1994 season through the 2002-2003 season. Horry’s teams were victorious in the NBA Finals in 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2007, while Kerr’s teams were winners in the NBA Finals in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2003. Each won three titles playing for Phil Jackson-coached teams and every other championship with a team from Texas, the Spurs or the Rockets. (wikipedia profile of Robert Horry)

Is Robert Horry a future Hall of Famer? Yes, and he deserves it. He is a great player.

Is he a first ballot Hall of Famer? No, and I would have stated the same answer before the two ‘cheap shots”.

Because of the caliber of great players and other famous basketball personalities eligible for the Hall of Fame, I would have stated that Horry would been inducted in the third or fourth year of his eligibility. However, after the ‘incidents’ with Steve Nash and David West? I believe that all it did was to push his apparent induction back to at least his fifth year of eligibility (I would have threw a towel at Danny Ainge myself…). Horry is known for the clutch shots, but the two ‘incidents’ have somehow partially tarnished the glow and aura of Horry’s career for some reason. The main reason is probably because in the past, Horry was never known to, nor did he have to use such tactics to be the player he is.

Adande referred to Horry in his article as a ‘cowboy’ who would ride off into the sunset like the classic western “Shane”. However, I feel as if his career is more like a sniper. He comes in and goes out unnoticed, but his marksmanship accuracy to perform in the clutch and fire the crucial shot with precision affects history and destiny forever.

When “Big Shot Rob” retires (and it maybe after this season), I too like J.A. Adande will miss him. There will never be another player like him who made such an impact and brought championships to the teams he played on. I hope he doesn’t go off quitely like Shane or like the Joe Moore character from the movie “The Heist” and drives away in another car with the real gold for ‘one last job’. I hope he gets recognition for his storied career and is honored by the Rockets, Spurs, and Lakers for his contribution to those teams.

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“Big Shot Rob”, A Future Hall of Famer?

Dan Patrick is leaving ESPN

It was shocking on one sense because I would of thought of Dan Patrick as an ‘ESPN Lifer’ who would be there until he was ready to retire. But as we learned today, the18 year ESPN employee stated that he would be on the air for the last time on August 17, 2007 to where Dan could pursue new interests outside of ESPN.

I loved Dan on television. He was great with Sportscenter with Keith Olberman. That was classic television with the catch phrazes and the body language the two had with each other. However, to me, DP and KO never gelled on radio. It became too political and mundane. What Olberman and Patrick were to Sportscenter, Patrick and Rob Dibble were to the radio show. In fact, ever since Dibble left and went to that joke of a show called The Best D### Sports Show Period, the show went from oddball humor to a bore that sounded more like the ‘Oprahification’ of sports.

It’s simple, Dan Patrick got burned out and needed a change. Dan Patrick was alot like Bob Costas where they asked the controversial questions in a courteous manner (when compared to Jim Rome and his brash cockyness). I remembered when he had to interview O.J. Simpson and also expressed his outrage at the USC championship team meeting O.J. in practice before one of the B.C.S. Bowl Games.

Where will Dan go? Nobody really knows. Rumors have been posted with everything from ‘The Price Is Right’, the Don Imus radio show replacement, and The Sporting News where Dan’s real life brother is the head of programming at Sporting News Radio.

Who will replace Dan? Rumors have spread from Brian Kenney (good choice), Stephen A. Smith (awful), Bill Simmons (great journalist, love reading his Page 2 articles, don’t know about his radio/tv personna but it would be interesting to see), Kenny Mayne, getting the horrible Erik Kuselias off the NASCAR show and back into the radio stable where he was decent, Dan LeBatard (good opinions but would be too worried about getting a pro athlete to admit he’s gay while currently active in pro sports) Stuart Scott (I hope not), Scott Van Pelt…

Who knows…….

I think ESPN may shock us with the replacement like they did when they announced Colin Cowherd (a popular west-coast sports talk show personality but not known anywhere else) would replace Tony Kornheiser (ANDY POLLEY). At least Kornheiser got to keep PTI and got a gig on Monday Night Football (even though that crew may be replaced by Mike and Mike they way their popularity is growing). Some names that come to my mind that would work.

Trey Wingo – I have heard some of his substitute work on radio and I think he is a natural. He is knowledgeable and he flows verbally with precision.

J.A. Adande – Unemployed ever since taking a buyout with the L.A. Times, but he has a smooth voice for radio that would blend well with an afternoon crowd.

Amy Lawrence – They may try a sports woman here. I would not be surprised. Even though I mostly disagree with her, I wouldn’t be surprised if they did it or her tag teaming with someone else..

Please – No Jay Mariotti, no Rosie O’ Donnell, no Skip Bayless, Dana Jacobsen, or any other Cold Pizza rejects.

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A Mainstay Is Leaving

The Bowl Championship Series (BCS)

It’s time to put college football into eight conferences, seed the conference champions and have a playoff system.

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Anti-Christ of the week ending 12-02-06

We want more Amy Lawrence. Even though I do not necessarly agree with everything she states, she is a welcome breath of fresh air to sports radio. Please move her from Saturday morning/afternoon edition of Gameday to the GameNight show Monday – Fridays.

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ESPNRadio, We Want More Amy Lawrence

I’m not a ‘conspiracy theorist’ and I am not saying that this is true. However, it has been a question that was brought up from ‘the pentecostal past’ because of these factors:

All the nations coming together in one place

The olympic flag with the colored ring representing the colors of every national flag of the world

The use of the olympics to subvertly promote liberal social causes

It makes me wonder….

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The Olympics And The AntiChrist

In this segment, we will hear Brady say in his own words:

“Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there is something greater out there for me? A lot of people would say, ‘This is what it is. I reached my goal, my dream …’ Me, I think, ‘God, it’s got to be more than this.’ I mean, this isn’t … what it’s all cracked up to be.”

“I wish I knew the answer,”

Tom, you are right. There is something greater out there for you. There is only one thing that will bring you the happiness, fulfillment, and inner peace you are struggling with.

His name is Jesus Christ.

I can tell that you have been searching for something ever since you did that interview for the famous men’s magazine where you stated that you wanted to be like every other twenty-year old guy and that you confessed that you looked at Internet porn. I could tell that you are not fulfilled for logic would question why you would go look at online pornography when you have dated some of the most beautiful women in the world like Tara Reid and are now currently dating another beautiful woman in actress Bridget Moynahan.

You are an accomplished athlete. You played baseball and eventually decided to play football going to Michigan where you were more known for being the backup to Brian Greise. You got your break as a sixth-round draft pick by the New England Patriots when Drew Bledsoe got injured, you filled in, and you never looked back as you won three Super Bowl rings in some of the best played Super Bowls ever.

Because of this, you have received product endorsements and have endorsed products for financial compensation. You have done commercials for Visa’s five layers of security. Most people would think that you are pretty much set for life financially.

But you are still not happy….

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Tom Brady, There Is Something More Out There

Jason Smith is the new host of AllNight, starting Sept. 16. Todd Wright’s contract was not renewed after a nine-year tenure at ESPN Radio. Smith comes to ESPN full-time as host of AllNight with Jason Smith (Monday-Friday from 1-6 a.m. ET). He joined the network as weekend- and fill-in host in December of 2003 as host of the Saturday and Sunday GameDay shows with Mel Kiper Jr., and in a solo capacity. He has guest-hosted several ESPN Radio shows on regular basis.

In fact, there is another page that gives the biography of Jason Smith. I really like Jason Smith as I had heard him as he filled in on other shows and also his work with Mel Kiper, Jr. We saw many sports-related issues alike. It is going to be interesting to see what happens with AllNight and to see if such segments as The Trot Nixon Show, Fourth and Longwell, Women of AllNight, Freedom of Choice, Larry Triplett, Monday Mornings with John Clayton (4:20 AM – 4:40 AM E.S.T.) , and the famous The Unnamed Segment Such Lavish Expirations (a.k.a. “The T.U.S.S.L.E.”) will remain and also if the rest of the ‘assemblage’ will remain intact.

I’m going to miss Todd talking about pro wrestling, his grandparents, his favorite women, and ‘the european sports car’ that he loved so dearly. To Todd Wright, I want to say thank you for the three years I have listened to you (since we got the ESPNRadio affiliate in my hometown) and best wishes to you in your future endeavors.

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Best Wishes To Todd Wright

This is the song that never ends,
yes it goes on and on my friend….

I thought about this song as I was discussing the 2005 NBA finals with a friend today. Instead, I mentally rewrote the song as:

This is the series that never ends,
yes it goes on and on my friend….

Does the 2005 NBA finals seem to be the longest series ever known to man? What was supposed to be a lesson in the purity of fundamental basketball has turned into four games that were blowouts and decided before the third quarter ended; one game where Tim Duncan could not hit a free throw, missed an easy dunk, and ‘Big Shot Bob’ bailed the Spurs out in overtime; and the last game had Duncan missing free throws and the Pistons on their game to even the series.

I have news for all you NBA fans.

This is the series that will finally end

And it ends tonight. Thank you Lord!!!!!

Then a couple of days of early sleep until Tuesday when the NBA draft is on television. After the draft, the end of Sleepless Season 2005 for I will start to rest.

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The Series That Never Ends

From what I saw so far live and in replay, former Major League pitcher and current U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) said the penalties under Major League Baseball’s current drug policy are “puny.” and proposed a ‘three strikes’ rule similar to what the NBA has for substance abuse violators. Bunting said the best statement of the day when he stated:

Mr. Chairman, maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I remembered that players didn’t get any better as they got older,” Bunning said. “We all got worse. When I played with Henry Aaron and Willie Mays and Ted Williams, they didn’t put on 40 pounds and bulk up in their careers, and they didn’t hit more home runs in their late 30s than they did in their late 20s. What is happening in baseball now isn’t natural and it isn’t right.

When we thought that was a brilliant statement. Bunning topped himself with this statement minutes later:

“If they started in 1992 or 1993 illegally using steroids, wipe all of their records out,” Bunning said. “Take them away. They don’t deserve them. Go ask Henry Aaron. Go ask the family of Roger Maris. Go ask all of the people that played without enhanced drugs if they would like their records compared with the current records.”

Well said Senator!!!!!

Canseco looks very nervous and even made a statement stating that some things would not be answered because he did not get immunity and that it may possibly incriminate him. However, even though Canseco is probably the ’shadiest’ character of the people testifying, Canseco has summed everything up requesting the government to address the issue because baseball as a sport refuses to. Sosa has not added much, Palmiero looks like he is ready for a fistfight with Canseco, and the most disappointing person of them all is not Canseco. It’s McGwire.

It appears that McGwire (from the replays I saw) appears very tense and in fear of future repercussions to his career outside of baseball. McGwire continues to stick to the “I’m not here to talk about the past…” mentality but kudos go out to Rep. Mark Souder when he said this statement

“If the Enron people come in here and say, ‘Well we don’t want to talk about the past,’ do you think congress is going to let them get away with that? … If we don’t talk about the past, how in the world are we supposed to pass legislation when you are a protected monopoly and all your salaries are paid because you are a protected monopoly? How are we supposed to figure out what our obligations are to the taxpayers if you say we won’t talk about the past?”

Very valid point. If McGwire’s logic was universal truth, then we would never have a court trial because a court trial is about determining the truth and justice about a past event. McGwire has alot to lose here. He is up for election into the Baseball Hall of Fame shortly and if he ever admitted to using steroids or someone else was to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that ‘Big Mac’ used steroids, Pete Rose would probably have a better chance of getting into the Hall of Fame than McGwire because Rose finally admitted to betting on baseball when it now appears that McGwire will not admit to or deny he took steriods.

McGwire is credited (along with Sosa) for ’saving baseball’ in 1998 years after the strike that cancelled the World Series severly diminished the popularity of the sport. It was the race to 62 home runs and the setting of a new record that brought people like me who gave up on baseball back to the television screen to watch baseball again. Let’s face it, we loved McGwire and Sosa because they appeared to be two ‘everyday’ baseball players who did not have big egos to match their big pocketbooks. We loved the daily press conferences and the countdown to 62. We loved the fact that McGwire hit his record breaking homerun in St. Louis against Sammy and the Cubs. We loved the dialog of Father Mark and son Matt and how Cooperstown immortialized the father-son hug. We love the hug McGwire and Sosa shared on the field after the celebration was completed by the team. We loved how Sosa also broke the 62 barrier. We loved how McGwire embraced the Maris family and how at the end of the HBO movie 61, Roger Maris’ widow is on her deathbed in a hospital and saw McGwire hit the homerun on television with the voices of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver in the background and a smile appears on her face.

This was the feelgood story of 1998. Now I do not feel too good about it. This not too good feeling is added to the fact that years later, an arrogant Barry Bonds broke McGwire’s record and hit 73 home runs.

Today, McGwire fears losing his place in Cooperstown, fears losing the admiration of his fans, fears losing future revenue if he decides to go the sports memorabilia route, fears losing the fact that he did at that time an impossible feat. Big Mac may eventually lose these things and more. However, he lost something today. He lost respect and admiration for simply answering one question.

It’s very easy to see why baseball never addressed the problem of steriods. Baseball needed to survive the combination of overpaid athletes and the over rich (but lacking in sense) owners that felt it was worth to pay the athletes. There was only one way to survive. Deny and not deal, and pass the buck to the fans via stadium concession revenues.

The NBA is a perfect example of a good working sports business model. The NBA has a salary cap, has a tough substance abuse policy, knows how to market it’s athletes, and has a working history of addressing their issues like the “BasketBrawl” incident earlier this season very fairly and very quickly. Major League Baseball can learn alot from the NBA.

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Double Play or Double Jeopardy

I had remembered someone mentioning the anniversary this past weekend ona television show. Therefore, I was preparing to watch the game once again shown on ESPN’s Classic Sports channel. However, I was shocked as 8 PM came and I was at Buffalo Wild Wings preparing to watch the WWE’s No Way Out pay-per-view when on another television set, ESPN showed the special Pardon The Interruption with Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon specifically devoted to this one game with Mike Eruzione doing the Five Good Minutes segment.

I therefore watched both the pay-per-view and PTI at the same time when I saw the banner at the bottom of PTI announcing that the famous hockey game would be shown with limited commercial interruption after PTI. At 8:30, the pay-per-view was boring and my attention became more focused towards the replay of the hockey game showing a very young Al Michaels calling the game.

During that time, while my friends were enjoying the pay-per-view, I was enjoying the Miracle on Ice as I recollected my thoughts of what went on in America twenty-five years ago and still remembering myself as an eleven year old boy watching this game in my bedroom on an old beat-up Quasar television.

Time has gone by very fast……

My buddy and I left Buffalo Wild Wings shortly before 9:15 PM when ESPN went to a commercial between the second and third period. I got home and turned the television on and watched the rest of the game seeing Eruzione’s goal the way I remembered it shown on television. To this day, I still choke up with emotion when I see the final seconds of the game tick away with those now famous words of Al Michaels in the background. I still think about how that game changed the world as we know it seeing a change in American pride, political landscape, and perserverance. I still think at how this one game showed that the Soviets were not these invincible people they portrayed themselves as and years later this was enhanced when Ronald Reagan told Gorbachev to “Tear Down That Wall” and the Cold War eventually came to an end. I wished I had my Sports Illustrated issue with the Miracle on Ice on the front cover.

Was this the greatest upset in sports history? Yes, no other game has had an everlasting impact as this one. Not Super Bowl III where Joe Willie Namath made the AFL a legitimate contender. Not US vs USSR in the 1972 Olympic basketball game where the US was robbed and the silver medals still sit in a vault in Munich.

Do I still believe in miracles?

You bet I Do!!!!!!!

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The Miracle Happened Twenty-Five Years Ago