Lakers-Celtics Preview

The return of The Cycle comes just prior to the start of the return to the most famous NBA Finals matchup possible. That's right, it's Celtics-Lakers for the 12th time in history. Of course, this is the worst possible matchup for the majority of NBA fans, who will either tire of another Boston championship (like the Yankees winning last year was for baseball fans) or of another Lakers title (and dealing with the Laker bandwagon, again like the Yankees). Here's the keys to this series.

1. The Artest/Pierce matchup: For all the bad having Ron Artest has been for the Lakers, this is a series where he can be an asset. Trevor Ariza probably doesn't match well as Artest does with Paul Pierce. Also, he won't get punched in the mouth like the Celtics like to do and not keep coming, unlike Vince Carter. So it really comes down to if Artest has declined as a defensive player. I think he hasn't, but Pierce is still a skilled offensive player. I'd be surprised if the loser in this battle wins the series (unless Kobe is Jordan in '93 for this series).

2. Andrew Bynum: He can be the difference if healthy. I'd take the Celtics frontcourt of Garnett/Perkins/Davis/Wallace over the Lakers if it's mostly the Gasol/Odom combo. The main reason, Pau and Lamar aren't great defenders and I'm more confident that the Celtics will score upfront like they couldn't against Dwight Howard, plus I think they will contain both guys on the other end. Bynum is the difference, because he's the better defender in the middle for the Lakers and gives the Celtics another person to deal with offensively. If only he plays well.

3. Rajon Rondo: He's the best player on this Celtics team and will probably be guarded by Kobe. If Derek Fisher guards him, Rondo will explode and shred the Lakers defense. Kobe have to try to contain him and that where Rondo will have to work without the ball to set up shots for Ray Allen or Pierce. It comes down to this, if Rondo plays the guy from Games 4-6 of the Cavs series and Games 1-3 and 6 of the Magic series, the Celtics win. If not, they lose. It's that simple.

4. Kobe Bryant: That's why Kobe is the biggest key to the series and more for his defense and his ability to play at a high level on both ends for a whole series. We all know he needs to keep playing like he has in the playoffs, putting up 29-5-6 and 33-6-7 that he had in the Jazz and Suns series. But he know has to play tough defense for the first time since the Thunder series when he was switched to Russell Westbrook.


As for a prediction, there will be a six game series and I'll go with the team I predicted at the beginning of the year, then hoped no one remembered (which no one did). Yes, the Celtics win in 6.

First Day Recap and Second Day Preview

The NFL Draft completed it's first round last night in record time, allowing me to watch the end of Pens/Sens without distraction. While I don't like the NFL competing head-to-head against the NHL/NBA, they were competing anyway in the past. I love how this is spread out, allows for speculation and trades overnight. It's like the NHL Draft, without having all six other rounds going today and splitting the 2nd and 3rd from the rest. Here's some thoughts:

-I think we all knew the Rams would draft Sam Bradford because they felt like they couldn't pass on QB again. While Bradford could be a good player, if he doesn't work out, the Rams will continue to flounder. Ndamukong Suh was the best player in this draft and the Rams would have been better served to take him and then they would have their choice of Jimmy Clausen or Colt McCoy to open the second round tonight.

-The Lions in my eyes were the big winner by grabbing Suh and trading back in to take Jahvid Best at RB. Best adds to a team that is getting better in skill positions. The Lions have to now focus their future picks on adding to the offensive line so the skill players can be effective. Kind of like the Niners, who spend the first round drafting Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati, who join Joe Staley to put some youth and talent to a San Francisco line that was poor a year ago. Very good for a team that's the NFC West favorite, at least in my eyes.

-My other favorite picks of the night; Dallas trading up to grab Dez Bryant, though it duels as my least favorite pick since I didn't want the Cowboys to take him. Jermaine Greisham going to the Bengals who needed a TE in the worst way was good, and to be fair, picks 2-6 are all obvious and smart, particularly the Chiefs not overthinking and taking Eric Berry, who will dominate at safety for the next decade, in a league which a dominant safety has become key. Finally, the Steelers drafting Maurkice Pouncey at center will be the next coming of Dermontti Dawson for that franchise.

-My least favorite moves: Why did the Chargers jump to 12 to grab Ryan Mathews and the Eagles jump to 13 to take Brandon Graham. Both players could have been available further down in the first round. Also, the Jaguars could have traded down to take Tyson Alualu and should have. The fact that Tim Tebow was taken in the first round also is a move I don't like, plus the Broncos keep compiling these QB's.

As for tonight, the key will be who wants Colt McCoy and/or Jimmy Clausen and who will give up anything to get them. Personally, I like Clausen and the fact he was dropped to the second round will rid him of some cockiness that is perceived. I also like he played in an NFL-style offense under Charlie Weis, and before you bring up Brady Quinn, let's be fair, he had no chance to succeed in Cleveland, especially after they were dumb enough to resign Derek Anderson to that contract after his successful '07 season. Not to harp on Notre Dame guys, but I'm keen to watch were Golden Tate will go. He was better than you think and with Weis in Kansas City, perhaps there's a fit. You know the Chiefs need more skill players. Sergio Kindle is the other guy I'm looking at since he's a first round talent and whomever grabs him will be pleased, unless his injury issues are much more serious.

Before I finish, I must talk about the Giants draft pick Jason Pierre-Paul and the Jets grabbing Kyle Wilson. Both teams picked in places of strength and both were the right move. Rex Ryan loves his corners and Wilson will provide some insurance for Antonio Cromartie, in case he doesn't work out. Expect them to look for another pass rusher and offensive line help today. As for the Giants, Pierre-Paul looks like the best athlete in the draft. Everything I hear is that he has a great motor and all he needs is to learn technique and he'll be scary good. I'm pleased. Now the Giants need to look at the linebacker hole and Kindle and Sean Lee are who I'd want the Giants to get in the second round. They also should be looking at a DT and OL if both are off the board and in the third round.

First Round Preview

Time to start growing your playoff beard as the fight to win the greatest trophy in sports resumes. That's right, the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin tonight with first round action. Instead of the typical preview, I decided to rank the 16 most important players, one for each team, before giving my 1st round picks. This isn't necessarily the best players (I don't have Sidney Crosby), but the players who are the keys for teams if they want to advance a round or two. Let's get started.

16. Tomas Plekanec- Thought I'd go with Jaroslav Halak here, eh? Well while we all know that Halak has a tough chore facing him with the Caps snipers, the Habs need the Plekanec from October-December, not the one from January through the end of the season. He scored 46 points in his first 43 games, but only 24 in his last 39. The Montreal offense will go through him and a good Plekanec will help Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta and the rest of Les Smufs.

15. Paul Stastny- One of the few Avs players with both playoff experience, while not being too old to impact the series (Adam Foote, we're looking at you). Stastny needs to show the pedigree of his family in this series. Plus, as the team's leading scorer this year, he can help make Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly's jobs easier.

14. Pekka Rinne- Our first goalie on this list as he will have to be as strong as ever to help the Predators upset Chicago. Nashville has little scoring, a solid defense and they need Rinne to reward Shea Weber, Ryan Suter and the rest of that blueline with a stellar performance. I.e. no more that two goals allowed a game.

13. Chris Pronger- Somebody needs to make Brian Boucher look good and that guy will have to be Pronger. He needs to show the Flyers why they paid him until he's 42. He truly can never do that, but if they can beat the Devils, it could lessen the sting of a bad year for him. Remember, he does show up for the playoffs (see Oilers, 2006 and Ducks, 2007).

12. Tuukka Rask- The feature of my first hockey-related article, (still among my favorites), Rask had better stats than his counterpart and American hero Ryan Miller, with a 1.97 GAA and a .931 save percentage. Now, he needs to enter the playoffs the way Simeon Varlamov did last year, with no fear of his first playoff run. Of course, it would help of the Bruins can score some goals.

11. Jonathan Quick- The taxi squad USA goaltender needs to shake off the struggles post-Olympics. He lost seven of his last 8 games, with the ninth game being his last win not involving a shootout. The Kings chance of winning in the first round come down to if Quick can play well or we might see Erik Ersberg before long.

10. Jason Spezza- The obvious choice for the Senators most important player as Ottawa goes as he goes. They can't have the Spezza from the beginning who couldn't score a goal in warmups. We know Daniel Alfredsson will show up (considering he was hurt the last time the Sens played in the playoffs), Spezza needs to step up, since Alex Kovalev is done for the year.

9. Shane Doan- The old veteran all the way back when the Coyotes made the playoffs regularly and even back to the days of the Winnipeg Jets, must lead by example if these Yotes have a chance against the Red Wings. Ilya Bryzgalov should play well, but Phoenix will need to get timely scoring, and Doan needs to prove that he is a leader in the mold of Jarome Iginla or Alfredsson.

8. Jimmy Howard- The Red Wings have given the keys to their playoff car to the Calder candidate and he needs to continue to play with the confidence that he showed throughout the season. Just remember, Mike Babcock would be hard pressed to leave Chris Osgood on the bench if Howard struggles, especially if the rest of the team continues their hot streak since the Olympics.

7. Evgeni Malkin- He proved last year that he can play through the entire playoffs. This year, he needs to return from injuries and give Pittsburgh's opponents someone else to worry about, aside from Crosby. Also, the added bonus of making them more formidable on the power play.

6. Thomas Vanek- Ryan Miller can handle the job in net. Vanek needs to recapture the scoring touch of last season after struggling for much of the year. He certainly appears to get out of the doldrums as he scored four goals Saturday against Ottawa. Him scoring only makes the Sabres more dangerous offensively and that much tougher to beat four times.

5. Roberto Luongo- The team Canada goaltender has struggled much of the season. Fortunately for Vancouver, the Sedin twins masked this problem by turning in their best years and the rest of the team followed suit. It seems like it should be easy for Bobby Lou to win, but last year proved he can turn into a sieve at any point. For someone considered among the best goalies in the world, he must show it this year.

4. Ilya Kovalchuk- The midseason acquisition for the Devils is only playing in his second playoff series and is in need for his first win. He was awful in his first go around, getting into more fights than goals. With big bucks awaiting him, this postseason could determine how much he'll end up getting and finally allows us to see him in the pressure spot. Plus, New Jersey hasn't made it past the second round since their last Cup in 2003, so they have pressure to do some damage for a change.

3. Marian Hossa- Two years in a row, Hossa's made the finals. Two years, he lost. Now he joined the team he last beat a year ago and needs to end this Cup jinx on a team that hasn't won a Cup in 49 years. Either Hossa's a reverse jinx or just some more bad vibes for the Blackhawks. Look out for any possible injuries.

2. Alex Ovechkin- Bad news Ovie, Sidney's ahead of you again. With the Cup win, the Rocket Richard trophy and his Gold Medal winning goal, he's starting to earn the hype he's received. Ovechkin has to now bring this Caps team, who can score with anyone and better, to at least the East finals. No excuses, this is the year we finally judge the Caps on their playoff record, not their regular season one. Speaking of that...

1. The entire San Jose Sharks- Yes, I cheated. Honestly, I can write a column on the 16 most important Sharks who need to step up for a playoff run. Evgeni Nabakov is a free agent and so is Patrick Marleau, both men need big postseasons. Meanwhile, Joe Thornton continues to be Tony Romo-like in the clutch, coming up small in the playoffs. He needs a year like A-Rod had in '09 to help the Sharks win. Lastly, Dany Heatley was picked up specifically to help in the playoffs. As wrong as it is to ask a former Senator for a dominating playoff performance, that's what the Sharks need from him. San Jose absolutely must reach the Western Finals at least, or the Stanley Cup Final if they don't face Chicago, or this team could face many changes next year.

My first round predictions: Caps in 4, Flyers in 7, Sabres in 6, Pens in 5, Sharks in 5, Hawks in 6, Canucks in 6, Wings in 5.

Randomness While Making 40 Cents On The Dollar Trades

-In order to avoid trading Donovan McNabb to the Raiders, the Eagles panicked a traded him for two draft picks to the Redskins. Now Washington gets a properly motivated QB who allowed to play for a rival of the team he's only known. Sounds like Favre parallels to me. Also, wait five years Philly fans on how you feel about McNabb. Believe me, the Ewing/McNabb comparisons are true and you'll find out soon enough. At least when the Eagles trade their guy with one year left, they didn't ruin any chance at competing in free agency like the Knicks did.

-Baseball has started and I didn't give picks. Nothing in my eyes has changed in the past week, so my AL playoff teams are the Yanks, Red Sox, Tigers and Angels, with the Yanks winning the AL. The National League will have the Phillies, Braves, Cards and Giants in the playoffs with the Phillies winning again. This time, the Phils get revenge over the Yanks and win the World Series. As for awards, Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols win MVP's, Tim Lincecum and Felix Hernandez win the Cy Young, Bobby Cox and Jim Leyland win MOY and Jason Heyward and Austin Jackson will be your top rookies.

-Biggest game of the Rangers season is on Friday as they start a two game series with the Flyers at MSG. Honestly, I've wanted the Rangers to just lose out and improve draft position and add a cornerstone forward, like they have on the blueline with Marc Staal and Michael Del Zotto. Unfortunately, they decided to beat up the teams they should beat and now have a chance to get swept by the Caps make the playoffs. It wouldn't matter how they did because making the playoffs and charging Ranger fans for two or three playoff games is enough for Jim Dolan. He remains the only good reason for me to stay with DirecTV, though FIOS is something I might end up getting.

-My Tiger Woods boycott ended with the first round of the Masters, since he was playing golf instead of this over apologizing in this ridiculous scandal that gets too much attention than it should. Of course the latest story was the creepy commercial of Tiger's father voicing over a long take of Tiger staring into the camera. Do yourselves a favor, search through YouTube for all the parodies. This one's my favorite.

-I'm sure it's been said, but if Gordon Hayward makes the halfcourt three to win the National Title for Butler over Duke, it's the greatest shot in the history of basketball. I guess we have to settle for the greatest screen in basketball history that Matt Howard laid on Kyle Singler. Anything to avoid talking about Duke's victory.

-I don't know if league saying they screwed up calls are a good thing or a bad thing. If you haven't watched it, Kevin Durant was clearly fouled at the end of a 140-139 loss to the Jazz, marring the end of a brilliant duel between he and Deron Williams. If the NBA actually punishes the officials who they admitted missed the call, then it's a good thing they told us. If not, then you can take your apologizes and stuff them in a sack. I rather my intelligence insulted by denial, not allowance.

-I agree with Joe West, these Yanks/Sox games are way too long. However, if he can criticize the players like that with no kind of reprimand, then don't reprimand or fine managers and players who criticize umpires. What's fair is fair.

-Finally, on a night where Steven Stamkos scored his 48th and Sidney Crosby scored his 49th goal, the highlight of the night is Mike Smith challenging Chris Neil after Neil slew footed him in the 2nd period of Sens/Lightning. Anytime you see a goalie start fighting or showing anger, it's something that must be shared.

Good Job, NFL

Today, the NFL has decided to change it's postseason overtime rules, making it no longer a strict sudden death period. In a 28-4 vote, the league has decided that if a team that wins the coin toss kicks a field goal, the other team will have a chance to get the ball back to either tie or win. If they score a touchdown instead, the game is over.

This is the perfect overtime for the NFL and really should be implemented in regular season as well. You earn touchdowns, not field goals. Field goals should be a play you settle on. The fact that all any team needs to do is take the kickoff to the 30, then go 40 yards is too easy in this NFL. This new rule puts the role of strategy back into the overtime, as now any field goal try would be second-guessed and the possibility to attempt an onside kick would be thought about. Plus, now it's no longer career suicide to win the coin toss and kick the ball (unless your defense sucks).

I think most everyone would agree that the NFL needed a new overtime format. The college format would be the worst idea since it's the dumbest OT in sports (going along with the dumbest way to decide a champion). For those who don't like that this rule is different from the regular season, remember the NHL has a completely different format for their postseason OT, so a slight, but clear difference won't matter here. Finally, by not going too far with trying to fix OT, it keeps the NFL from overplaying games when injuries can become more prevalent. The fact the NFL still can have ties is why soccer does the same thing. Soccer can never do a NHL-type OT during major events because playing for almost 120 minutes (90 in regulation and 30 extended) is physically draining and need the penalty kicks to decide games. Same goes for the NFL, even a little more do to football's brutality. The NFL did good today in tweaking their rules.

Keep The Yank With The Brits

This Saturday, Everton will face Birmingham in a battle between two of the better teams in the EPL. Neither side is in any danger of dropping into the bottom three of the league, meaning they wouldn't be demoted into League One. At the same time, neither team has much of a chance to finish in the top 4 and qualify for the Champions League. So why does this game matter? Because this is the end for Landon Donovan and his 10-week loan to Everton.

Donovan goes back to the States and the L.A. Galaxy to get ready for the start of the MLS season. Everton wanted to keep him for the rest of the season, but they couldn't make a deal with the Galaxy to extend his run, unlike what AC Milan has done with David Beckham. This to me is an extremely short-sighted decision on the part of Bruce Arena and the Galaxy.

Landon Donovan his proven that he fits in with Everton and is good enough as a player in the Premier League. There, his talents aren't being wasted, instead he's only getting better. The U.S. is now a better team because Donovan has played in England and with the best players in the world (including many English footballers who he will face in the World Cup opener). The chances for the USA to do any kind of damage in the World Cup are because Tim Howard is Everton goalkeeper, Jozy Altidore is in Hull City, and Clint Dempsey can return to action with Fulham. That, along with whether Oguchi Onyewy and Charlie Davies can be healthy in June could determine how well the Yanks play in South Africa.

However, that's not the main reason why Donovan should be allowed to play in EPL. It's because he's a Premier League talent and he would be paid like one. He doesn't make nearly the kind of money that he can in England because he's been brought up in this American system. If the MLS had a strike this year, no one would miss it, since all the American soccer fans watch European club leagues anyway. It's a disservice to Donovan to not allow him to finish the season with Everton and hopefully Donovan will leave once the season ends as a December or January transfer. Or better yet, there are rumors that Chelsea would be interested in picking up Donovan next year, which would allow me to officially declare Chelsea as my EPL team.

If you caught the highlights of Everton's blowout over Hull City, you see Donovan score a goal and set up another goal and both times, the Everton players showed how much Donovan meant to that team, which is somewhat true since Everton went 6-2-1 with him in the lineup and moved from second half to first page of the EPL leaderboard. Donovan was thrilled to play there and fans and played showed him the love that he can never receive here, at least in club football. So allow him to stay Coach Arena, at least until April 15 as Donovan asked for. Then when next year's transfer window opens, Donovan could earn the league even more in transfer fees.

Fire Sather

Enough of the Jedi mindtricks Glen. Now, I don't know how he's been able to keep his job with his decade of incompetence. I mean Isiah Thomas only had five years in charge of the Knicks. Did Glen need to have Wade Redden involved in a truck party while harassing a Garden aide to be fired. That's why I've taken the idea that the Rangers would be better served by missing the playoffs this year. Perhaps the fact that Jim Dolan can't weed extra money from his fan base (including myself in 3 of the past 4 years) will lead to him thinking it would be wise to find someone new.


Today, there will be a "Fire Sather" rally outside MSG at 5 pm, before tonight's Sabres/Rangers game. I unfortunately will be unable to attend, but fully support this action and really, this needs to happen before every Rangers home game; at least on weekend games which work and rush hour can't limit the amount of people who can join in. I know that the chances of Dolan actually listening to those at the rally are about 0.0000001 percent, but at the very least shows the Rangers fans care how their team is run, before a generation of potential Rangers fans are lost like Blackhawks and Bruins fans in the late 90s, early-to-mid 00s.


Finally, I wanted to share this SI Vault article from 1965, notice how sometimes, things never change.