The Quest for the Cup: The HoG's 2009 Conference Finals Preview
I cannot, in recent memory, recall an NHL playoff as bizarre as this one has been thus far. Now, I like to think that professional sports follow trends, regardless of how measurable they might or might not be. And this post-season has one or two, but in comparison to the unexpecteds, my uneducated head says the trends have been dwarfed. For starters, you have three consecutive game sevens to wrap up the second round. It's not that game sevens are seldom, but seldom do you have that many in the second round. Also in the note of seldoms would be both first-round seeds being knocked out before the third round. Seldom do you see both Stanley Cup Finals teams back in the Conference Finals. Seldom do you see three of four clubs lose their first series game, and come back to win: Carolina dropped game one to Boston, 4-1; Washington took Pittsburgh 3-2 in that series; Anaheim did lose to Detroit 3-2; but the Canucks handled Chicago 5-2 in their first match. A brief look at both sides of the Conference Finals, and a chuckle at my God-awful picks, after the jump.
Things don't get underway until Sunday afternoon when the Red Wings and the Blackhawks square off at 3 p.m. Central in Michigan, but since we were late with last round's preview, we're trying to balance things out a bit, so give us a hug.
The West
The way these playoffs have gone, I don't know who to pick in this one. I'd love to say that Chicago continues to ride this insane wave and eliminates Detroit, but I just don't see it happening. While they were able to overcome a game-one loss, and take care of Vancouver in six, the Canucks are not the Red Wings. Mike Babcock has again proved that he was the appropriate heir apparent to Scotty Bowman, and I'm not saying that Chris Osgood is better than Nikolai Habibulin, but put him on this club, and he is. Red Wings move on to defend their title.
The pick: Detroit in six.
The East
The Pittsburgh Penguins have officially pissed me off. Don't get me wrong: I got nothing but love for Mario, but this club keeps elminating teams I'm rooting for, round after round, season upon season. Not to mention they're effin' up my picks. Freaking lose, and freaking go home, already, and that's precisely what will happen to you against my perennial bandwagon club, the Carolina Hurricanes. The Cardiac 'Canes did it yet again last night, and absolutely silenced the Boston crowd. Personally, I give Carolina the edge in netminding, cohesion, and toughness, which I think overpowers the production and finesse in this Pittsburgh club. But hey, I've been wrong about them plenty of times before. Brind'amour finds himself seeking Cup number two.
The pick: Carolina in seven.
As far as the picks are concerned, I'm 37-35, which is pretty atrocious. And that's enough about that. Your Conference Finals TV schedule can be found here.
30 comments:
Boston goin' all the way, and Pittsburgh out in the first round. That's some funny shit. Not bad for a part-time hockey fan, though.
Wasn't it nice to see Crosby dominate in the much anticipated matchup?
Banky, I apologize for the best player in the league embarassing your bandwagon Ovie. It served that bitch-ass scorer right. He needs to spend less time makin' cheap shots, and more time working on holding the puck.
It was also sad to that your boy, bitch-slap Semin, didn't get into a fight. That was one of the most hysterical things I've ever witnessed (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvxfXgFtiLU). I loved Don Cherry pointing out Semin quitin' on the puck in game 7. That's some classy Capitals hockey.
I see a Detroit repeat comin' up which totally sucks, and I'm not sure that a Goncharless Penguin team can get past Ward and the Canes.
We'll see what the puck drops bring.
I'm obligated to pick the Pens over the Canes (6 games), but Ward is gonna piss me off repeatedly.
Detroit over Chicago in 7.
Pens over Detroit in 7.
Best put that Ovie Jersey away for now, Banky.
Cheers,
TLR
On a more serious note, it has been a hell of a playoff season in the NHL. Banky is exactly right. Three game 7s in two days ... awesome.
I love seein' two 4s, a 2 and a 6 in the semifinals. This league is moving in the right direction and will continue to do so if they can just keep Ballsacky out of the ownership.
Hockey's a great game and the NHL is one of the most well-organized professional leagues today.
Cheers,
TLR
P.S. Fuck the Nuggets. I can't believe Old no. 7 wants to call the Mavs classless. Really? Dude, who is ONE classy player on the Nuggets?
Enjoy your run, and hope you don't face the Cavs. It's our year ... not yours, boys.
While I'm glad to have you back here, TLR, your shameless front-running is embarassing.
I bet you were a pretty big Cavs fan before LeBron showed up, eh? Really into Brad Daughterty. "Our year"? I mean, good lord.
Who is one classy player on the Nuggets? That's hilarious. How 'bout we start with Chauncey Billups?
Our year, says the guy who picked up the Cavs because his wife's from Ohio, the same Cavs that conveniently have the best player on the planet.
When YOUR Cavs win it all, I'm sure you'll be overcome with the emotional energy of having been denied a championship for FOUR WHOLE YEARS. Or was it three? When, exactly, did this lifelong affiliation with the Cleveland franchise begin? But YOU deserve it. Nobody believed in YOU or the city where you don't live and didn't grow up, or the player you recognized as awesome.
Actually, everybody believed in him, but the way in which they believed in him was in some fashion disrespectful to your deep, deep C-Town roots. You and your boy LeBron have been dissed by the nation at large and you will, together, brothers in arms, get your comeuppance.
And the Nuggets are nothing but class. How did their owner get rich? By marrying into Wal-Mart billions--classy. Birdman is a drug addict, but has overcome his demons--super-classy. Kenyon Martin got Darrent Williams killed, but did not violate omerta in the investigation--you see where I'm going here. Kenyon Martin defines classy.
Let's not forget Carmelo Anthony, who attended college for a whole year AND employs many disadvantaged local youths to carry his marijuana stash.
But they have tattoos! TATTOOS! They're criminals, all of 'em!
You got me there, if only everyone could be as classy as LeBron, who would never get a giant tat that says THE CHOSEN ONE while he was still in high school. Because that wouldn't be classy.
Wow. That has to be one of the best exchanges in some time around here. So, what happens, Grand Wizard, if the Celtics put away the Magic Sunday night? Do you drop the Boston crew you rooted for long before 'Bron 'Bron came on the scene?
I'll bet you do, you little smack-talkin' imp.
But, hey -- what do I know? I'm just a part-time hockey fan.
Good exchange, fer sure.
TLR=DKC's new hero.
I've never seen this soft n' puffy trifecta get riled up this quickly and eloquently.
Take it from someone that spends countless hours fishing for such a reaction...
Even the new padre jumped in for a little socio-economic/NBAfandom style beat down.
TLR, time to return serve?
PS. Wayman Tisdale passed @44 yrs.
I think I date myself a bit when I tell you that that dude was a serious baller. Unstoppable early-mid 80's Big 8 scorer.
44.
Shit.
DKC
WOW! The boys are upset. Did I hit a nerve? Imp? That's good, man.
First of all, a toast to Wayman. He was indeed a fine ball player. I'll never forget those battles with the Jayhawks in my youth. He was the guy we all loved to hate. Obviously, he passed too soon.
Ah yes, the Nuggets fans are feelin' the heat of expectation. Just brace yourselves for the fall, and you'll be fine. If you honestly believe you're not a team filled with thugs, then I can certainly appreciate your blind allegiance. That's what a fan base should be. Well done, chaps.
Isn't life great? Having experienced the bulk of my youth with no NBA franchise, it has never been a long journey finding a team. While I grew up a bit of a Celts fan, it's not easy pullin' for a Boston team these days. Any non-Boston fan that's lived in New England will certainly understand why. They'll always have a place in my hearts, gentlemen. I loved the Sonics with the X-Man and the years with Shawn Kemp, but they've moved-on and so have I.
Marriage, boys, is a pact. It requires commitment and sacrifice. In my marriage, that commitment even extends to the world of athletics. In fact, it was in my damn vows ... cheer for the Browns in all cases, except vs. the Chiefs. That's right gentlemen ... in the vows. Hell, she even watches Royals games. That's damn serious.
So, here I am, committing myself to the Cavs, going to games, etc. I sat through your cry-baby antics, "The Cavs are just a one- man team. They'll never go anywhere," since the inception of this blog. You didn't mind my allegiance then, did you?
Now, the time has come for you all to shut your damn traps and watch your team get thumped. Take it like men. I know you want your NBA ring, and you've got a coach that could do it. Hell, he gave the Bulls their toughest competition during their supremacy.
==============================
What’s that tapping at my door?
Two HOG boys whining, forever more.
The Nuggets, they say, can win a ring.
At least they want one, that’s the thing.
No chance in hell for that team of thugs.
Too busy with hookers, guns and drugs.
George Karl’s the man to bring the fix.
Almost beat Jordan, but lost in six.
Now he wants another shot
Not so easy with this sad lot.
He came so close with Kemp's and Payton’s many feats,
Nuggets beware … history, poor fans … it repeats.
=============================
Hey, guys, it was a good year for your gangstas. Just be happy. You all are used to losin’ on the hard wood, so this shouldn’t be too difficult.
Cheers boys,
TLR
P.S. I just hope we both make it to the finals, cuz I'm gonna love that shit.
That beatdown was so good, it has its own song.
There's so much going on here it's hard to keep it straight. At one point you loved the Celtics, but now you don't. These would be the Celtics led by Larry Bird (who fathered a bastard kid, denied it was his, then refused to support her, even for $40 a week).
The Celtics of Robert Parish, who was busted after having drugs mailed to his house. The Celtics of Dennis Johnson, wife beater. The Celtics of Lenny Bias, drug overdoser. The Celtics of Bill Walton, who never met a hallucinogenic he didn't like.
And these Nuggets are thugs?
But it gets better, as the next good team TLR chose to hop on with was led by Shawn Kemp. Shawn Kemp, who jumped straight to the NBA instead of attending Kentucky because he could not read. Couldn't even fill out the UK application.
Shawn Kemp, father of 11 kids by nine moms. Shawn Kemp, busted with coke, weed and guns in Seattle. Shawn Kemp, who completely fucked YOUR Cleveland Cavaliers because he could not maintain a playing weight under 3 bills.
And these Nuggets are thugs?
I can only hope that while waiting for the Lakers to finish up with the Rockets, the Nuggets did not follow the example of Lebron's mom, who sort of likes to party.
I also forgot to mention that George Karl is a horrible coach, and if you think that he's the best thing these Nuggets have going for them then you're more hopeless than I thought.
I find it interesting that a professed liberal like yourself, TLR, would so quickly resort to the "they're thugs" line, which we all know is shorthand for them goddamned coloreds and their tattoos.
Are they "thugs" because they play physically? If so, there are a lot of thugs in the NHL. But then, that's a (white) Man's League, full of (white) Men. Stand up and salute the honorable Todd Bertuzzi, plz, and remember: it's all part of the game, and you simply don't understand.
Really, though: guns? Drugs? Hookers? Why not throw in baby-rapists while you're at it? What the hell are you on about?
Good lord, man. I know that consistency in thought isn't precisely your strong suit, but do you have an actual beef? A criticism you can back up with, you know, facts or something?
Also, I'm curious: who, exactly, is whining around here, again?
Is it the long-suffering Nugs fans--you know, people who have held an allegiance for more than three weeks--who took offense to Mark Cuban's attempt at WWF-style crowd manipulation to rescue his overmatched team?
Or, heaven forfend, could it be a certain oversensitive LeBron worshipper with a tendency to run off at the frothing mouth when he hasn't got the chips to back his bet?
Also: I think it's funny that you somehow took personal offense to the idea that the Cavs pre-Mo Williams were a one-man gang.
Uh, they were. Even *actual* Cavs fans admit that, and freely.
For proof: they didn't win squat until they got a PG worth a shit, no matter how awesome LeBron's awesomeness. Now that they have one, they are the best team in the league.
Who's been arguing that fact? Write their names and down and send them in, we'll make sure the parties in question receive the most severe discipline possible.
You know, boss, you aren't reallllly doing your new position as NBA analyst much justice.
First of all, I don't even like 'Bron. Second of all, Seven -- easily the best piece of investigative journalism ever to appear in the HoG commentary. Ever. Third of all, Cec' -- tons of good points. For real. I wouldn't lean too heavily on thugs meaning something other than general misconduct. Perhaps many, many people that throw that term around mean that, but I know that when I do, I refer to criminal activity, regardless of ink or color. Also, the NHL continues to produce African-American players on a scarcely noticeable, inconsistent variety, but is that really someone's fault?
It is my personal opinion that the game of hockey was not as accessible to any of us (in this thread) in our youths, and there are some that would call us privileged. Why, then, would the allegedly less privileged have access to it?
Either way, there have certainly been plenty of thugs in professional hockey, and there still are today. And while I don't know diddley about Mo Williams, I do know the real One-Man Gang . Except for when he became Akeem the African Dream , that dude kicked ass.
Additionally, if that Bertuzzi/"don't understand the game" comment was indirectly aimed at me, that's a low blow.
Finally, and super-duper-most importantly, TLR -- you just got served, Johnnie Morton style , boyyeee.
The issue is not with the usage of the word "thug," it's the lack of substantiation. If "thugs" are "criminals," where's the rap sheet? Yes, Carmelo had the thing with the weed, and Birdman got kicked out of the league for meth. Kenyon Martin is a loudmouth, and J.R. Smith can be a showboat. Take any roster in the league for the last 30 years and you'd be hard-pressed to find less "thuggery."
I was hesitant to mention race, because everyone around here goes nuts about that, but it seemed curious to me too--TLR loved a team comprised of deadbeat dads, weed smugglers, and girl-punchers. It was also the whitest succesful team in modern NBA history. Yet the 80s Celtics, with as much if not more criminal and irresponsible behavior as the '09 Nuggets, escape TLR's "thug" label. Why, exactly, is that?
Laziness, that's why. Instead of simply acknowledging that the Nuggets are a good team, a physically imposing, hard-nosed team, led by a championship-caliber point guard, TLR looks only at the tats and says "thugs."
It's the same laziness that led him to drift around the NBA, hooking up with whatever hot team of the moment that would have him, before settling (for now) on the team that is conveniently positioned best to win a title. And make no mistake, the Cavs will win it all. They've had no challengers in the East, LeBron is the most unstoppable basketball force on the planet, and he does finally have some real help on both the offensive and defensive ends. Any criticism I ever made of the Cleveland Cavaliers was two years ago, when they were a one-man team and they were not ready to win it all.
They did not win it all. This year they will.
But what do I know? I'm just going to go smoke some meth, rob a liquor store, stab a cop and rape a hooker--Game 1 of Nugs-Lakers is tonight and I have to get in the proper frame of mind to appreciate my boys.
I'm not sure what's more fascinating: a) your counter to my counter-point to Cecil, b) the fact that you're on the HoG at six a.m., or c) your two proclamations for a tittie, I mean title.
Don't you know? Jesus hates Cleveland. Lakers squeak past the Nuggets, take Cleveland in six. I got $20 on it. Takers?
/goes nuts
What two proclamations? I don't recall ever picking anyone. If you held a gun to my head, I'd say Cleveland will win. They're guaranteed admission to the Finals, they have the best player, they have home court. Jesus may hate Cleveland, but many other powerful forces--such as Allah, Phil Knight and David Stern--would rather see TLR get his championship.
The question is, if LeBron jumps ship as a free agent, will TLR's legendary NBA loyalty remain in Ohio? After all, he took VOWS.
And 6 a.m. is nothing, bro, with a crying baby in the house. I attribute all my fantasy baseball dominance to this kid and his non-sleeping patterns. The early bird gets the pitchers.
TLR gettin Triple-teamed!
The worst of the lot was being called Johnnie Morton!
Avenge!
The ones in the comment above where you twice said that Cleveland will win it all.
Also, Jesus is one of my Five Faves. He thinks Allah and David Stern are the same thing.
Also, since when are you dominating in fantasy baseball? I schooled you in steals and saves.
Speaking of fantasy baseball, howsabout my come-from-behind narrow victory last week, Admin?
I think we were separated by decimal points in a few categories...
Well, as thrilled as I am that you brought it up, I'll note that it wasn't really come-from-behind since you led all week until Friday night, when I took a less-than-24-hour-long lead. All day Sunday it was 6-6-2. You pulled ahead, which I found ultra-awesome, and scored the victory. It was only fitting that my losing streak stretch to a month. And, hey look -- I'm already losing this week, too.
Whereas I am committing a gross malignant act against my opponent.
The worm is turning, friends.
Whoa ... I don't check out the hockey post for a couple days and all hell breaks lose. This is almost the best triple team I've ever had, boys.
This had gotta be some sort of record, especially for a hockey post.
I'm not even sure where to start. First of all, 7, your Whitlockesque race card was terribly weak and insulting. I'm not going to comment any further than that.
Secondly, we need to get some Nuggets wins here for the finals mathcup that we all want.
Thirdly, not one damn poem ... not one rap ...nothing. This is what you all bring to the table? Where's the creativity, humanities students?
The Nuggets play physically and borderline dirty on a regular basis. They're a band of misfits playing good basketball, primarily because the Billups trade was a great move. Their improved defense in recent months (the result of the team buying into Karl's approach -- and you're wrong, he's a good coach) has gotten them where they are. It doesn't mean they're not thugs, man. They won't hesitate to take your legs out and Carmelo would kick ya while you're down.
I cannot reasonably take criticism regarding reason for my fan support from a bandwagon Boston Red Sox fan, 7. What is it ... you're a Rockies fan when they're in the Series, but a Red Sox fan when THEY'RE in the series? Are you a Broncos fan or a Patriots fan? The Bs or the Aves? I know you wanna bring your Boston roots stance and your grandfather this and that. That's reasonable, but you will only walk into case that you WILL NOT WIN.
Bertuzzi should never have played another game in the NHL or for team Canada.
Finally, when you spend time, whether it be two years ago or last week, comin' after my boy, EXPECT to eat your words, bitches. It's time for lunch and I see that 7 has some sauce on his face. Slow down, sir.
If the Cavs advance and face the Thuggets, then they'll wrap up the championship easily.
Go Thuggets!
Cheers losers,
TLR
I did not broach the subject of race--I merely commented on it once it was brought up. An educated person has to know that using loaded language will illicit a response.
You can not be serious when you say that the Nuggets play dirty. They play physical, playoff basketball, which is what's required to win in May and June. Finesse teams get dumped, like the Mavs did.
Name me a championship team in our lifetimes that has not fouled hard, defended the rim and manned up late in the playoffs. The Spurs played rough, the Pistons of both the Chauncey and Isaiah played rough, the Shaq-Kobe Lakers played rough, the Bulls played rough, the Sixers played rough.
Your once-beloved Celtics drew blood in every series. Your previously-hallowed X-Man/Kemp Sonics played real defense and nailed people approaching the basket. Even the Showtime Lakers knew that to win titles you had to get mean sometimes. They had their goon in Rambis, and if the flagrant foul was in effect in the 80s Kareem would have drawn two every series--THAT guy was dirty.
To say that these Nuggets will "take your legs out" is comical. They haven't drawn any more flagrants or fines than, for instance, the Lakers they're facing now.
Finally, when it comes to questions of fandom, I am a Red Sox fan who's never lived in New England. That's a fact. But I developed that allegiance as a kid and I've never wavered. I didn't pick a team because they were perennial champions, I picked a team in spite of the fact they'd gone lifetimes without winning a title. And they had Wade Boggs.
If the Rockies had, in fact, existed when I was a kid, I'd have grown up a Rockies fan. When the Rockies came into being, I made the decision to ride out my time with the Sox, mostly because I thought Mo Vaughn would turn out to be an all-time great and not a fat drunken bum.
After the World Series in '07, I thought one more time about switching, from the team I'd always followed to the team in my home state. I would save on satellite TV bills, for one, and you can always get a seat at Coors for a reasonable price. But two things kept me from flipping. One is that the Monforts are quite possibly the worst owners in pro sports and the Rockies will never win with them in charge. Two, you don't switch teams willy-nilly.
Women switch teams, because they're women. My wife's friend loves the Browns because she thinks Brady Quinn is hot, and she got tired of Tom Brady. Children switch teams, because kids change their mind on everything. But when you reach a certain age and you are a man, it takes an act of God to switch and be taken seriously. A new team moving to your city qualifies. Marriage is open to debate--I think it's suspect--but in my mind it is unacceptable for a grown man to jump around with teams based on who is playing well.
This is simply heresy. This is how we end up with so many fucking annoying Steelers fans and Cowboys fans and, yes, Red Sox and Yankees fans. If you want to jump an occasional bandwagon that's fine--I happen to be riding the 2009 Royals model myself. But if that bandwagonry extends to buying gear and--especially--dropping "we" and "us" in conjunction with the team, well sweet Jesus that's just too much. It makes an absoulte mockery out of every fan that actually cares about a team.
I have to ask, in all seriousness: If LeBron leaves next year and the Cavs return to perpetual mediocrity, will the "we" and "us" still be there, TLR?
Man ... you are an easy strike out, huh?
What made you pick the Red Sox? That's pretty important. How did that allegiance arise?
7, you clearly don't know many women who are sports fans. The most committed fans I've known have been women. Try to get out more.
I've got no choice, bro. I'm a Cavs fan win or lose. It's just nice that they're havin' some good seasons. That certainly won't last in the Mistake by the Lake. That's the way it goes.
I'm just hopin' they hold on to Darnell Jackson.
I'm sorry I don't like the way your Nuggets play, and that I think all of them (except Billups) are whiney, thuggish bitches. Shockingly, 7, I'm not alone in this opinion. There are MANY fans who really don't like the Nuggets, dude. That's just life. I mean, look at the way you went after the CAVS this morning. That's just bein' a good fan, man. It's not offensive.
Anyway, if you really want to pursue a futile argument, then state how your allegiance to the Red Sox arose. If not, I'll certainly understand.
Cheers,
TLR
OK, this is officially ridiculous.
You simply refuse to acknowledge anyone's point, LR. You're like a smartass freshman who doesn't know what he doesn't know but feels the need to tell the class anyway. Please, please, please, I beg of you: specifics as to why the Nuggets play "thuggishly," and not "because they do, and other people say so."
Good Lord. You love to throw out the ad hominem insults, but they are only making you look like a desperate fool, swinging wildly without aim.
You speak in generalities, you blatantly ignore explanations, you harp on meaningless angles. You're like one of the messageboard posters on FreeRepublic, the ones that are CONVINCED Barack Obama was born in Kenya because that's just the truth and you can't believe the librul media.
By the by, it was my race card. If you're going to use loaded language, you should understand the full import of what you say.
Not that I'm waiting on you to start exhibiting some subtlety of thought, of course. I've been reading your comments too long for that.
As much fun as this has been, I'm officially signing out of this thread. TLR, you yourself marked this as a "futile argument" and for once I am in full agreeance with your take.
All I ever hope to get out of this forum is a little sports chat that's somewhat well-informed but at the very least funny and entertaining. Our Kansas City/Cleveland/Canadia friend is, unfortunately, none of the above.
I do sincerely hope that the Cavs make the Finals, and that if they get there against the Lakers that they smoke them. I think LeBron's an amazing athlete and a good person (even though I try very hard to never equate or confuse those two value judgments) and for his legacy he needs to start collecting rings. I also think it would be fantastic for Cleveland to experience a championship, there are a lot of really great fans there that deserve to celebrate.
Other than that, though, the act is very tired and I need to move on to more serious fare. Like jerking off under my desk, and deciding how to make a pun using "Jeff Suppan" and "back-alley vasectomy."
Sincerely,
Old No. 7
Hard Core Red Sox fan for at least 6 weeks
Thank you for not pursuing it. I've go the argument ready, but it'd take an awful lot of exchanges. I too will sign out. It's gotten old and clearly I'm not welcome here.
I will work on becoming more well-informed and funnier. These have always been my shortcomings.
Cecil, as far as evidence is concerned, it's a pretty subjective argument. (I was also gonna go with you as the 11-14 year old girl who was upset because someone thought her contestant wasn't the cutest -- in response to the freshman take) Objectivty, in the end, is a myth. I would cite Martin's $25,000 fine in the last playoff round, but I haven't them time for much more than that. Then you could cite the many other fines that have occured outside of the Nuggets. Then I'd dig up another tid bit ... and so on and so forth It'd go back and forth forever.
It's a matter of opinion.
I've got alleles to score and miles to go before I sleep.
Sorry to bother you all,
TLR
P.S. I'd say that neither the Horace Grant Bulls nor the Spurs had "physical" play as their trademark. They could certainly get physical, but they both relied on excellent balance rather than defensive intimidation.
Last word! Yes!
Right, *I* have been the screamy little girl. Exactly. Excellent take.
I find the "reading comprehension" crack you made in another thread humorous in light of this one. I could care less if someone else doesn't pick the Nugs, and in fact doubt that they'll make the Finals at all. But that wasn't my point.
I merely doubted the veracity of your opinion--which, yes, this is all about, no duh, as the screamy little girl might say--that the Nuggets play like "thugs" and are "classless."
That opinion, you finally let slip, seems to be based on one(!) hard foul by Kenyon on Dirk. The foul was bad but the fine was silly--and, if you hadn't noticed, and I know you hadn't, Dirk didn't go to the rack much for the rest of the series. If that's defensive intimidation, well, there are a few dozen teams in the league that want more of it.
So, after all of this--at the very least you finally attempted to justify your initial take, only about 56 comments after I initially asked for it--after every personal insult you throw out, you slink away butthurt and wounded? Pleeeeze.
I will say, though, that you are the only person I have ever heard refer to the early '90s Bulls as "the Horace Grant Bulls." And San Antonio was and remains Flop Central.
You're right, though, in one important regard: you do need to work on being funnier and more well-informed.
"there are a lot of really great fans there that deserve to celebrate."
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I could've sworn that at one time we either a) argued about, b) reached agreeance upon, or most likely c) both of the above that there was no deserve in sports.
Am I accurate, or is that one of those long-winded, torturous mental sermons I have with myself and occasionally get around to sharing.
Just checking.
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